Solutions and Colloids

Much of what is done in a chemistry lab involves mixing a variety of substances and materials together. These substances that you mix together are not all the same consistency. Mixtures may be homogeneous or heterogeneous. Homogeneous mixtures appear as a unified whole; you couldn’t tell by looking at it that it was a mixture at all. … Keep Reading → Heterogeneous mixtures show visible signs that it is a combination of substances mixed together. Solutions and colloids are two common types of homogeneous mixtures. Solutions are the most common type of homogeneous mixture. They are below two nanometers in size. Solutions involve at least two parts; the smaller is called the solute. The solute typically dissolves in a larger part called the solvent. Solutions with relatively high solute levels are sometimes called concentrated solutions while those with lower solute levels may be called dilute solutions. A colloid is a homogeneous mixture that has larger particle sizes. The mixture will be between 2-500 nanometers.

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