Question

The dispersed phase in a colloidal solution is:

• A. Solute
• B. Solution
• C. Suspension
• D. Mixture

Hint:

In colloidal solutions, the solute particles are dispersed throughout the solvent but are large enough to scatter light and not settle out over time.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Use milk as a working example: milk is made of fine fat and protein particles spread through water.

1. Solute: the fat and protein particles play the role of the dispersed phase in milk, and this component is named the solute, the same name used for what dissolves in an ordinary solution.
2. Solution: milk as a whole, fat particles plus water together, is the solution or colloidal mixture, not just the dispersed particles alone.
3. Suspension: that word describes a different kind of mixture altogether, with larger settling particles, not a part of milk's own structure.
4. Mixture: this is too general a word, since it could describe any combination of substances rather than naming milk's dispersed component specifically.

Since the fat and protein particles in milk take the role of the solute, that is the correct answer for the dispersed phase in a colloid.

Answer 2

A colloid has exactly two structural parts: the substance that is spread out (the dispersed phase) and the substance it is spread through (the dispersion medium). Match each option to see which one names the first part.

1. Solute: this names the spread-out component, the one present in smaller amount, which is precisely the dispersed phase's role.
2. Solution: this names the finished mixture as a whole, combining both structural parts together, not just one of them.
3. Suspension: this is not one of the two structural parts of a colloid; it names a separate mixture type entirely.
4. Mixture: this word could apply to the combined system or to any blend of substances in general, so it does not point specifically to the dispersed phase.

The role of the dispersed phase in a colloid is filled by the solute, so that is the correct answer.