2.2.2 What is a Suspension?

Description

Quick Overview

A suspension is a heterogeneous mixture in which solid particles do not dissolve but remain suspended in a liquid.

Standard

In suspensions, the solid particles are visible and do not settle down, leading to instability. Unlike solutions, suspensions scatter light and can be separated by filtration.

Detailed

What is a Suspension?

A suspension is defined as a heterogeneous mixture where solid particles are dispersed in a liquid medium, but they do not dissolve completely. This can lead to various significant properties and behaviors influenced by the particle size and distribution.
The essential characteristics of suspensions are their instability over time, where particles may eventually settle due to gravity, contrasted with solutions, which are stable. The mixture of solid and liquid components results in the visibility of solid particles to the naked eye, and suspensions will scatter light, demonstrating the Tyndall effect. Common examples include muddy water and paint. To separate a suspension, techniques such as filtration can be employed.

Key Concepts

  • Suspension: A heterogeneous mixture with solid particles that do not dissolve.

  • Tyndall Effect: A phenomenon where light is scattered by particles in a suspension.

  • Filtration: A separation technique to isolate solid particles from liquids.

Memory Aids

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • Suspensions are where solids awake, / Mixing with liquids, make no mistake.

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • Imagine a wise old river that flows through a forest, carrying leaves and pebbles. These solid friends, like the leaves in muddy water, float but are never lost in the river; they eventually come to rest at the bottom.

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • To remember features of suspensions: 'Visible, Settling, Filterable (VSF)' can help.

🎯 Super Acronyms

SUSPEND

  • Solids Unmixed Suspended in Particle Environment Needs Distinction.

Examples

  • Mud in water is a classic example of a suspension where soil particles remain suspended.

  • Paint is a suspension of pigment particles in a liquid medium.

Glossary of Terms

  • Term: Suspension

    Definition:

    A heterogeneous mixture in which solid particles are dispersed in a liquid and remain undissolved.

  • Term: Tyndall Effect

    Definition:

    The scattering of light by particles in a medium, observed in suspensions and colloidal solutions.

  • Term: Filtration

    Definition:

    A method used to separate solid particles from liquids or gases using a barrier.