Are the atoms in honey sticky and does this explain why it sticks to your fingers?

Answer 1

Atoms in honey are not sticky. It is just that honey is a viscous liquid having density quite higher than that of water(which is taken as a standard). This viscosity is a characteristic feature of honey and other liquids like oil because in this the molecules are bonded to each other by van der waals forces.

On this view, the atoms in honey are no different to any other atoms. It is perhaps worth keeping a rather more open mind. Lucretius wrote that the atoms in honey are sticky, whereas in bitter tasting foods they are barbed. This view emphasises human perception above the results experiments in the lifeless vacuity of a scientific lab.

The atoms in honey may be stickier than Western science may lead you to believe.

For more, read Lucretius at: http://www.radicalacademy.com/adiphiloessay87.htm

Answer 2

Yes, the atoms in honey are sticky due to the presence of molecules such as sugars and proteins that can form hydrogen bonds with other molecules. This stickiness accounts for why honey can adhere to surfaces like your fingers.