system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 why plastic dish ware tends to not dry after a wash cycle in the dishwasher.
gpt
The interfacial tension between water and plasticware is higher than for either glass or ceramic.  In other words, water sticks better to plastic.  

Surfactants are the main components of rinse-aids.  Their job is to reduce surface tension within the water, so water tends to form thinner drops on dishware.  Rinse-aids lead to faster drying and much less noticeable spots, but they’re only marginally effective on plastic.