Water wets wood, whereas mercury does not. Give reason.

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Wetting**: Wetting refers to the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface. It is influenced by the interactions between the liquid molecules and the molecules of the solid.

2. **Cohesive Forces**: These are the forces that hold the molecules of the same substance together. In the case of water, the cohesive forces between water molecules are relatively strong due to hydrogen bonding.

3. **Adhesive Forces**: These are the forces that occur between different substances. For water to wet wood, the adhesive forces between water molecules and wood molecules must be strong enough to overcome the cohesive forces among the water molecules.

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