Chemistry / Unit 8 Chem 1591 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Colloids Distinguished from Solutions and Suspensions
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The idea
A colloid has particles larger than a true solution's but small enough that, unlike a suspension, they never settle on standing.
In practice
Milk's fat and protein particles are far larger than dissolved sugar molecules, yet milk stays mixed, unlike a mud-and-water suspension.
Where people slip
Classifying milk or fog as a solution because it looks homogeneous ignores that the Tyndall test, not appearance, distinguishes a colloid.
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