Illustrated · 1 min
What are Suspensions?
They are mixtures that are heterogeneous (different throughout). The mixture is made up of two parts the solute (what is suspended) and medium (what particles are dispersed in). The solute will not dissolve in the medium, like in a solution.
Mud is an example of a suspension. The dirt and particles will settle away from water.
Suspensions vs Colloids
Suspensions are very similar to colloids. They both are heterogeneous mixtures where the two parts do not mix to form one state. The difference, is that the two parts of colloids do not separate and in suspensions the solute can settle.
An example of a colloid is milk, if you leave milk sit for a long time, separation does not occur. In contrast to a shaken mixture of flour in water, overtime the flout will settle to the bottom of the container. It is important to note that the term suspension only applies when the the parts are mixed together.
