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LiveScience
LiveScience
Victoria Atkinson

Why does paper tear more easily when it's wet?

Wet paper tears apart in man's hands.

 ​If you've ever spilled a drink over the paperwork on your desk or accidentally placed your dinner napkin on a damp surface, you know how frustratingly flimsy paper gets when it's wet. Even the smallest drop of water seems to weaken that pristine sheet forever. But why is paper so much easier to tear when it's wet?

The answer comes down to the paper's chemical structure.

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