Identify the following as characteristic of a solution, a...

Identify the following as characteristic of a solution, a colloid, or a suspension:
a. Particles of this mixture remain inside a semipermeable membrane but pass through filters.
b. The particles of solute in this solution are very large and visible.

Labs

Want to see this concept in action?

NEW

Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.

View Labs

Key Concepts

Solution

A true solution is a homogeneous mixture in which the solute particles are at the molecular or ionic level, typically less than 1 nanometer in size. Because of this extremely small size, the particles do not settle out, and they pass through filters easily, making them indistinguishable by the naked eye or simple filtration processes.

Colloid

A colloid is a heterogeneous mixture with particle sizes intermediate between those in a solution and a suspension, generally in the range of 1 to 1000 nanometers. A key characteristic of colloids is that during dialysis with a semipermeable membrane, the larger colloidal particles are retained rather than passing through, which helps in distinguishing them from true solutions.

Suspension

A suspension is a heterogeneous mixture in which the particles are large enough—often visible to the naked eye—to eventually settle out on standing or be separated by filtration. The large particle size in suspensions prevents them from remaining uniformly distributed, unlike in solutions or colloids.

Transcript

Please give Ace some feedback