Which method can best be used to confirm the presence of a colloidal mixture due to the Tyndall effect?
Shining a beam of light through the mixture and observing scattered light
The Tyndall effect is the scattering of a beam of light by the particles of a colloid. Colloidal particles (about 1–1000 nm) are large enough to scatter light, so the path of the beam becomes visible inside the mixture. In a true solution the particles are too small and the beam passes through unseen.
So, to confirm a colloid, a beam of light (for example a torch or laser) is passed through the mixture and the illuminated path is observed from the side.
Heating to evaporate the solvent only shows that something is dissolved or dispersed; filter paper cannot separate colloidal particles from either solutions or colloids; and standing undisturbed only separates suspensions, since colloids do not settle. None of these involve scattering of light.
Hence, the method is shining a beam of light through the mixture and observing scattered light.
Which of the following options correctly describes a suspension?
The process of settling down of colloidal particles by adding an electrolyte is called:
Which of the following statements best describes a property of a colloid in relation to mixtures and solutions?
The following item consists of two statements, Statement I and Statement II. Examine these two statements carefully and select the correct answer using the code given below :
Statement I : Catalytic hydrogenation is highest when the catalyst remains in the powdered form
Statement II : When a catalyst is in the powdered form, its surface area becomes highest
On adding some detergent to water, the surface tension