Why can cling film stick to a smooth bowl without tape?
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Answer: Close contact lets attractive forces hold the surfaces together
Close contact lets attractive forces hold the surfaces together ✓ — The flexible film makes close contact with the bowl, allowing short-range molecular attractions to hold it there. The strength depends on the plastic and its formulation; some films contain ingredients that make the surface tackier. Static charge can contribute, but it is not a universal explanation for every wrap.
It acts like a magnet pulling on the bowl — Cling film does not grip a glass or ceramic bowl through magnetism. Its flexibility lets it conform to the surface, where adhesion acts over very short distances.
It sticks only after a sealed vacuum forms beneath it — A sealed vacuum is not required for cling film to stick. It can adhere at a bowl rim or to itself without enclosing an evacuated space. Pressing it down mainly helps it make close contact.