A certain skin lotion is a fine mixture of water and various oils. This lotion is cloudy and cannot be separated into oil and water by filtration or centrifuge. What type of mixture is it?
Colloids and Suspensions A colloid is a mixture in which one substance is evenly dispersed into another. Gelatin is an example of a colloid. Collagen protein in gelatin evenly disperses in a water–based medium. The cytoplasm of a cell is also a colloid having a similar consistency to gelatin. The difference between a suspension and a colloid is in the size of the particles. In a colloid, the dispersed particles are much smaller and, therefore, cannot be separated. The dispersed particles will not settle to the bottom, as they will in a suspension. The particles in the colloids scatter light in a phenomenon known as the Tyndall effect. This effect makes many colloids appear translucent. Remember, the liquid looks cloudy in suspensions. Colloids can be liquids, solids, or gases. Butter and marshmallows are just a few examples of colloids.
Colloid
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