Adsorption is a process in which molecules or particles from an air, gas, liquid, or dissolved solid adhere to the surface of another material. This can occur through various mechanisms such as van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions, and chemical bonding. Adsorption is different from absorption, where substances are taken up by a surrounding medium, because it involves only the surface interaction between two materials. It has many practical applications in fields like chemistry, biology, engineering, and environmental science.