uspensions

A suspension is a mixture between two substances, one of which is finely divided and
dispersed in the other. Common suspensions include sand in water, dust in air, and
droplets of oil in air. Particles in a suspension are larger than those in a solutions; they
are visible under a microscope and can often be seen with the naked eye. Particles in a
suspension will settle out if the suspension is allowed to stand undisturbed. Many
particles of a suspension can be separated through a filter. An example of a simple
suspension would be flour in water, or sand in water.

Colloids

A colloid is a type of mixture intermediate between a homogeneous mixture (also called

a solution) and a heterogeneous mixture with properties also intermediate between the
two.

The particles in a colloid can be solid, liquid or bubbles of gas. The medium that they
are suspended in can be a solid, liquid or gas (although gas colloids cannot be
suspended in gas).The particles are approximately 10 to 10,000 angstroms in size and
generally cannot be filtered, or settled out in an easy manner. Colloids may be colored
or translucent because of the Tyndall effect, which is the scattering of light by particles
in the colloid. Colloid particles may be seen in a beam of light such as dust in air in a
"shaft" of sunlight.

Brownian movement may be used to distinguish between solutions and colloids.

Brownian motion is the random movement of colloidal particles suspended in a liquid or
gas, caused by collisions with molecules of the surrounding medium. The particles in
solutions and colloids are in constant motion. However colloid particles are large
enough to be observed and are small enough to still be affect by the random molecular
collisions. Colloid particles resist settling rapidly to the bottom of a vessel due to
Brownian motion.

Emulsions are a type of colloid

Emulsions are an example of colloids composed of tiny particles suspended in another

immiscible (unmixable) material. An emulsion is a suspension of two liquids that usually
do not mix together. These liquids that do not mix are said to be immiscible. An example
would be oil and water. If you mix oil and water and shake them a cloudy suspension is
formed. Let the mixture rest and the oil and water will separate.

An emulsifying agent (emulsifier) is any substance that keeps the parts of an emulsion
mixed together. For example if we mix oil and water a suspension will form that over
time separates. But now, if we add a few drops and shake the mixture the oil and water
will stay mixed much longer.

Examples of emulsions include butter and margarine, and mayonnaise.

See also HYDROCOLLOIDS

Examples of Colloids

Dispersed Medium
Gas Liquid Solid
NONE Liquid Aerosol Solid Aerosol
Gas
(All gases are soluble) Examples: Fog, Mist Examples: smoke, dust
Sol
Emulsion
Foam Examples: Paint,
Continuous Liquid Examples: Milk, Mayonnaise,
Medium
Examples: Whipped cream pigmented ink, blood, Milk
hand cream
of Magnesia
Solid Foam
Gel Solid Sol
Solid Examples: Aerogel,
Examples: Gelatin, cheese Examples: ruby glass
Styrofoam, pumice