For example, when you cut yourself, you put iodine on your cut and the iodine is 'ab'sorbed into your skin and becomes a part of your skin. It is 'ab'sorbed like a sponge 'ab'sorbs water. Then you put on an 'ad'hesive bandage that 'ad'heres to the surface of your skin. That is the difference between adsorption and absorption. Adsorption only happens on the surface.

Activated carbon has a significant amount of surface area. One pound can have as much as 3 million square feet of surface area. This is why activated carbon is such a versatile material for adsorption. The strength of the adsorption attraction can be affected by such things as temperature, molecular weight and the boiling point of the compound to be adsorbed.

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