Final answer:
The property of water that enables it to stick to surfaces and form droplets is adhesion, which is the attraction between water molecules and other types of molecules. Cohesion is the attraction between water molecules which leads to surface tension.
Step-by-step explanation:
The property of water that allows it to stick to surfaces and form droplets is known as adhesion. Adhesion is the attraction between water molecules and other types of molecules. When water comes into contact with a surface, the water molecules form hydrogen bonds with the atoms or molecules on that surface, creating the adhesion effect. This is seen when water “climbs” up a glass capillary tube or when it forms droplets on surfaces. On the other hand, cohesion is the attraction between water molecules themselves and is responsible for phenomena like surface tension, which allows insects to walk on water and water to form droplets that stay together rather than spreading out.