Differentiating

Between a Solution, a Suspension, and a Colloid.

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Brandon Ki
Science 8E
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Variables:
Control: Amount of water in each test tube, Shape and status of test tubes, Used graduated cylinder, Amount of materials added to water,
Observation standards, Time and place experiment is taken, Experimenters, Water used, Quality of water and added material, Power
and type of light used
Independent: The type of material added
Dependent: Whether tyndall effect can be observed or not, Whether the mixture is a solution, suspension, or colloid.
Background Information:
A solution is a mixture of two or more different substances of which molecules are completely evenly spaced out amongst themselves.
They are transparent and impossible to Hilter out. They do not have large enough particles for the Tyndall Effect to be shown, in which
light is bounced off particles inside a mixture and is observed by the human eye. Suspensions have usually visible particles and show the
Tyndall Effect. Its particles settle down eventually when the mixture is left alone for a certain period of time. Colloids also show the
Tyndall Effect, however its particles do not settle down.
There are many factors that determine whether if a mixture becomes a solution, colloid, or a suspension.
For a solution, all of the molecules of the mixture have to be completely evenly spaced out. For that to happen, the molecules of one
substances that is in the mixture have to pull the molecules of the other substance strongly enough to break their bonds, so that the base
substance molecules that are evenly spaced out in the space given stick with the added molecules amongst each other, making the added
molecules be evenly spaced out, too. If the forces of a substance pulling the molecules of the other substance is weaker than the force of
the molecules other substance pulling amongst themselves, then it will remain a group of molecules, or a particle, and will make the
mixture not a solution. (University of MissouriKansas City, 2015)
One of such forces that pull on the bonds are called dipole-dipole forces. (Science 10 Student Lessons, n.d.) It is a force in which polar
substances pull each other. A substance being polar means its molecules have unequal charges and are like minuscule magnets, with a

side with a negative charge and a side with a positive charge. They stick with other polar substances when the dipole-dipole forces
overpower the force that keeps the substance together. There is a limit to the molecules they can stick to, however, as the charges do not
have inHinite energy and are full when a certain amount of other polar molecules stick to them. When the limit is fulHilled for every
molecule, the left polar molecules Hloat in the mixture or settle down if they are grouped in heavy enough particles, preventing them
from being a solution, as their bonds are stronger than the leftover dipole-dipole forces. (Volland, 2011)
Water is a polar substance. Thus, when it is mixed with other polar substances, unless the amount is too much, they become a solution.
When the amount is too much, it depends on the size of the particles for them to become either a colloid or a suspension. Also, when it is
mixed with non-polar substances they become suspensions unless other forces other than dipole-dipole forces overpower their bonds,
as they interact with themselves stronger than they interact with water, making them hydrophobic, or scared of water.
There are other forces, such as hydrogen bonding forces, ion-induced dipole forces, and dispersion forces, that cause molecules of one
substance to pull the molecules of another and thus create a solution. They help each other and the dipole-dipole forces to overpower
whatever bonds the added substance has. (University of MissouriKansas City, 2015)
Also, when two types of molecules are similar enough, they mistake each other for the same molecules and also become a solution, but
in this case, there is no limit to the amount of either substance for them to be a solution. An example of such solution is the mixture of
water and ethanol. This is called the like dissolves like rule. (University of MissouriKansas City, 2015)
Cornstarch is a polar substance, but it is bonded with glycosidic bonds that strongly hold together the various carbohydrates, or sugars,
that make up cornstarch. It is also very light and has a small particle size.
Soil is made of a great number of organic substances, so it is overall impossible to determine what bonds they have, or whether they are
polar or non-polar. However, as many of the organic substances have very strong bonds and are non-polar, soil is overall insoluble in
water.
Food coloring is polar and has weak bonds. If you simply shine a light in food coloring, you will not see the Tyndall Effect, which means
there are no particles for water to break down. They are designed to be easily soluble. (Science 10 Student Lessons, n.d.)
Sugar is actually sucrose. Sucrose is the sugar we use in our foods, and it can be broken down to fructose (fruit sugar) and glucose. Such
bonds are also called glycosidic bonds, the strong bonds that hold cornstarch together. Yet, sucrose is much simpler than cornstarch, as
it only has two types of sugars that are bonded, and only three types of elements (carbon, oxygen, hydrogen). Thus, it is easier to break
the bonds of sucrose than cornstarch.
Milk is a mixture of fats and water, with a small amount of calcium, iron, vitamins, proteins, and other nutrients. If we just focus on the
fats, they are held together by carbon-hydrogen bonds, which are very non-polar and are difHicult to separate. They form large chunks of
particles that usually cannot be separated by the dipole-dipole forces, hydrogen bonding forces, or other forces of water. Of course, fat is
completely non-polar and will separate with water in a layer when left alone, like oil. However, all milk go through a process called
homogenization in factories, and thus the fats mix in with the water in small particles. (reddit, 2014)

Oil is completely non-polar, and is less denser than water. There are many types of oils, but they all share the fact that they are
hydrophobic, or water-fearing. Thus, when put in water, they Hloat in a layer above it. (Volland, 2011)
Honey is polar, as it is a very large amount of fructose and glucose in water, and all of them are polar. It is a colloid just by itself as its
particles are small enough.
Hypothesis:
If I put in soil, then I will observe the tyndall effect and it will be a suspension, because soil is mostly non-polar and has strong bonds,
and the tyndall effect can be observed in mixtures with large particles undissolved, and when the effect can be observed, it is a
suspension or a colloid, and the soil particles will be large enough for them to settle.
If I put in food coloring, then I will not observe the tyndall effect and it will be a solution, because food coloring has a minuscule particle
size and is polar, and the tyndall effect can be observed in mixtures with larger particles left over, and when the effect cannot be
observed, it is a solution.
If I put in cornstarch, then I will observe the tyndall effect and it will be a colloid, because cornstarch has medium size particles and has
very strong glycosidic bonds, and the tyndall effect can be observed in mixtures with larger particles left over, and when the effect can
be observed, it is a suspension or a colloid, and the cornstarch particles are not large enough to settle, so it will be a colloid.
Materials:
1. Tap water
2. Cornstarch
3. Food coloring
4. 7x test tubes
5. Graduated cylinder
6. Sugar (sucrose)
7. Plain milk
8. Soil
9. Honey
10.Vegetable oil
11.Laser pointer
12.Test tube rack
13.Test tube cleaner
Method:

1. Prepare the following mixtures.

Tube

Mixture Ingredients

10 mL of water

2
3
4

small amount cornstarch and 10 mL of water

small amount of soil and 10 mL of water
1 drop of food coloring and 10 mL of water

small amount of sugar and 10 mL of water

1 drop of milk and 10 mL of water

5 drops of vegetable oil and 10mL of water

Honey - Observe at the front of the class

2. Record observations about the appearance of each test tube.

3. Place your thumb on top of the test tube and shake for 20 seconds.
4. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes and record observations.
5. Test each mixture for the Tyndall Effect by shining a laser pointer through each tube. Remember to move the laser from top to
bottom and look for variations in the light.
6. Classify each mixture as a solution, suspension, or colloid.

Test
Tube

Mixture

Description of mixture at the What happens after the mixture What happens when light shines Is the mixture a solution,
start of the experiment
is shaken and then allowed to
through the mixture?
suspension, or colloid?
stand?

Nothing can be seen inside. Its a compound.

The Tyndall Effect cannot be
observed, and the light
passes through the mixture.
Only two spots of light can be
seen on either sides of the
beaker.
Starch and Starch with water. The
The water has visibly fogged A clear line of light can be
Suspension
Water
mixture has visible yet
up, making it a slightly
seen in the mixture. The
small particles of starch transparent milky color.
Tyndall Effect can be
Hloating on water. The
There are visible particles on observed, and the light hits
mixture is slightly foggy, the bottom of the tube, settled the particles inside the
with the top of the water down.
mixture.
being completely white.
Soil and Water Soil with water. The
The water is still clear
A clear line of light can be
Suspension
mixture has visible and
enough, with a slight brown seen in the mixture. The
large particles on the
tint. The soil still goes down Tyndall Effect can be
bottom of the tube. Some to the bottom and some Hloat. observed, and the light hits
particles are Hloating. None The water becomes a brown the particles inside the
of the particles can be seen color. The big particles are mixture.
mixed with water. The
still clearly visible.
mixture is mostly clear,
with the bottom and top
being brownish with the
soil. The particles have
random sizes.
Water

Pure water. The mixture is Nothing has changed, apart

completely clear and has from a little amount of
no visible particles.
bubbles. Pure water. The
mixture is completely clear
and has no visible particles.

The food coloring moves The food coloring is

Nothing can be seen inside. Solution
down slowly, forming an completely mixed in and I
The Tyndall Effect cannot be
upside-down mushroom cannot see any particles. The observed, and the light
cloud-like shape. It looks water is completely green
passes through the mixture.
like thick strings of cottage without any parts with
Only two spots of light can be
cheese draped down.
different colors.
seen on either sides of the
There are no particles
beaker.
visible at all. Nothing can
be seen settled on the
bottom or top.
Sugar and water The sugar settles down on The sugar crystals are gone. Nothing can be seen inside. Solution
the bottom. The water is The water is completely clear The Tyndall Effect cannot be
completely clear. Sugar
and I cannot see any particles. observed, and the light
crystals are very large and The water is completely clear passes through the mixture.
visible, and do not Hloat at without any parts with
Only two spots of light can be
all. The crystals look like as different colors.
seen on either sides of the
they were before being put
beaker.
into the water, if a bit
smaller. They are square-
ish and transparent.
Milk and Water The milk moves down like The water is foggy and theres A clear line of light can be
Colloid
strings of fungi. The water no substance on the bottom. I seen in the mixture. The
is clear other than the
cannot see any particles. The Tyndall Effect can be
strings of the milk. There water is completely
observed, and the light hits
are no particles visible at transparent white without the particles inside the
all. Nothing is settled on any parts with a different
mixture.
the bottom or the top, yet color.
the milk is continuously
moving towards the
bottom, getting constantly
slower.
Food Coloring
and Water

Oil and Water

Honey

The oil forms a layer on the The water is very bubbly, but A clear line of light can be
Suspension
top of the water. The layer there is still the layer of oil on seen in the mixture. The
is extremely thin and,
the top. The water under the Tyndall Effect can be
obviously, oily. No oil can layer remains completely
observed, and the light hits
be seen inside or under the clear, yet the bubbles do not the particles inside the
water. There are no
go away until after a long
mixture.
particles visible.
time, or Hive minutes. The
layer seems to have reduced
in size.
A faint line of light can be
Colloid
seen in the mixture.

Questions:
1. What is the Tyndall Effect?
The Tyndall Effect is light scattering by particles large enough in a colloid or a suspension.
2. Solutions do not exhibit the Tyndall Effect. Why?
Solutions have no particles, or bonded molecules that they cannot scatter light.
3. How is a suspension different from a colloid?
Particles in a suspension settle after a certain amount of time or visibly separate, while particles in a colloid do not.
4. Suppose you were asked to separate each of the mixtures used in this experiment. Which do you think would be the easiest to
separate? Which do you think would be the most difHicult to separate? Explain your answers.
Oil and water would be the easiest to separate. Oil and water is a suspension, with the oil forming a layer on top of the water. By
carefully pouring out only the oil, I can separate the mixture. Meanwhile, food coloring would be the most difHicult to separate. Food
coloring is used in many drinks, so it is chemically designed not to separate with time or easy Hiltering. It is soluble with water, and is a
solution. Water is a polar substance, which means the molecules have negative and positive charges, making them minuscule magnets.
Food coloring is also a polar substance, making the molecules stick together and distribute themselves out very evenly throughout the

solution. Thus, they are impossible to separate with Hilters, and can only separate through chemical reactions. For example, If you put
powerade, an artiHicially colored drink, through a net-like Hilter, the result would still be blue (or yellow, or red, or whatever color the
powerade is). I would have to use chemicals to separate them.

Conclusion:
The purpose of the lab was to determine whether various mixtures are solutions, colloids, or suspensions, and differentiate between the
categories of matter. In the experiment, we Hirst mixed various materials with 10mL water. We observed the characteristics of the
mixture. Then, we shook the mixture, left it for a while, and then observed the changes and characteristics of the mixture again.
Amongst the added substances, sugar, starch, honey, and food coloring were polar substances.
In sugar, the bonds of the fructose and glucose in sucrose, or the glycosidic bonds, were weaker than the dipole-dipole forces and the
hydrogen bonding forces because only two types of sugars are bonded, breaking them apart in a process known as sacchariHication.
Thus, the molecules did not form particles and were spread out, making the mixture a solution. The solution was completely transparent
and the Tyndall Effect was not visible.
Corn starch was also polar, but as starch was very many types of carbohydrates put complexly together by glycosidic bonds, the power
of the bonds was stronger than the dipole-dipole force, preventing the mixture from becoming a mixture. The large particles left bonded
together by the glycosidic bonds were large and heavy enough to cause the Tyndall Effect and sink to the bottom, making the mixture a
suspension. White cornstarch particles could be seen settled on the bottom, the water was foggy, and a clear line was shown when the
laser pointer was lit inside the mixture.
The food coloring was impossible to determine what it was exactly made of, as there are many types of food coloring, but as all food
colorings are manufactured to be polar so that it would be soluble, clearly its bonding forces were weaker than the dipole-dipole forces
and other forces that disperse. Thus, the molecules did not form particles and were spread out, making the mixture a solution. The
solution was green yet transparent it was possible to see the other side. Also, nothing settled, and the Tyndall Effect was not visible.
Soil was a very random category of substance, it was comprised of thousands of different substances, so it was impossible to determine
if it is polar or not. However, as many organic substances are non-polar or have very strong types of bonds amongst themselves, soil was
impossible to break with dipole-dipole forces, hydrogen bonding, or anything else. The large particles left bonded together were large
and heavy enough to cause the Tyndall Effect and sink to the bottom, making the mixture a suspension. There were visible particles on
the bottom of the test tube, consisting of gravel, sand, plant substances, and others, and a very clear line was shown when the laser
pointer was shone into the tube.

Milk was made of fat and water, and fat was non-polar, making milk overall non-polar. The water couldnt break the particles of fat glued
together by bonds created by dehydration synthesis, or ester bonds, which are very strong, and particles of fat were left undissolved in
the mixture. Although they wouldve been a suspension as the fat particles are less denser than water and wouldve created a layer on
the water, a process called homogenization that was done in factories caused them to stay in big particles until their weight allowed
them to not Hloat in the water, creating a colloid. No particles settled, yet the mixture was white (the color of the fat) and nontransparent
overall, and the Tyndall Effect was very visible.
Oil was completely non-polar, separating it and the water in a layer above it, as oil was less denser than water and was hydrophobic. It
became a suspension. After it was shook, it formed small bubbly particles inside the water, but they eventually rose up and formed the
layer again. Thus, the mixture became a suspension. Nothing settled, yet the oil was visibly separated from the water in a layer, and the
Tyndall Effect was visible.
Honey was basically sugar in water with a very high amount of sugar, so it was same with sugar in water, only with too much sugar for
water to dissolve. Thus, the sugar, even though it was polar, formed particles glued together with glycosidic bonds that couldnt be
pulled apart by the small number of water particles with the dipole-dipole forces and hydrogen bonding forces, causing the Tyndall
Effect to be observed. It became a colloid, as its particles were light enough. No particles were visible, yet the mixture was golden
overall, and the Tyndall Effect could be observed. Nothing settled or separated.
Amongst the non-solution mixtures, the ones with visible particles and with larger density than water, such as soil or starch, settled
down on the bottom and became suspensions, while oil, with invisible particles and a lesser density than water, Hloated on water in a
layer with some mixed in with the water in bubble form, while ones with microscopic particles, such as milk or honey, which were
adequately weighted, became colloids.
The particles of most polar substances, such as sugar and food coloring, were easily broken apart from their bonds by the dipole-dipole
forces that pulled the polar water molecules and the substance molecules together. However, starch had very strong bonds comprised of
many types of sugars, and honey had a very high percentage of sugar, so the dipole-dipole forces werent strong enough to pull the
particles apart and create a solution.
I accept my Hirst and second hypotheses and reject my third. The Hirst and second hypotheses were proved correct and soil and water
became a suspension, while food coloring and water became a solution. However, my third hypothesis was proved incorrect and
cornstarch and water became a suspension. The cornstarch refused to break down due to its complex glycosidic bonds and its particles
remained large even after being mixed in with the water, making it a suspension, not a colloid as I expected.
In the methods, I was told to put in a small amount of every substance, with the exception of food coloring, milk, vegetable oil, and
water. The description small amount was very unscientiHic and the amount of substance could vary greatly from one test taker to

another. For example, if I had put two large spoonfuls of sucrose into water and thought it was a small amount, nobody could disprove
that it was a small amount, and the results would have been different. The mixture wouldve probably become a suspension.
Also, soil is a very vague category of substance. If I had chosen a different type of soil, maybe ones with very Hine particles, or no gravel,
it may be have been a colloid or even a solution.
Not only that, but the laser pointer was very weak. It may not have been strong enough to demonstrate the Tyndall Effect on some
colloids and may have caused it to be categorized as a solution. Light may have bounced on some particles, yet may have been too weak
for our eyes to observe.
Other questions I could investigate include, How can we see colors in the mixture of food coloring and water when there are no
particles to reHlect light?, What mixtures around us are solutions, suspensions, and colloids?, What is the glycosidic bond?, What
causes the dipole-dipole force?, What is homogenization?, How can we make oil and water mix?, How can we make colloids or
suspensions into solutions?, In what ways is the dipole-dipole force similar to magnetic force?, What is the difference of the mass of
particles of a colloid and a suspension?, Can solids be solutions, suspensions, or colloids?, What are daily uses of solutions,
suspensions, or colloids?, and Do solutions digest easier than suspensions or colloids?
References:
reddit, (2014). Is milk polar or non-polar? /r/askscience. [online] Available at: http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/
1wxwoq/is_milk_polar_or_nonpolar/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2015].
Science 10 Student Lessons, (n.d.). LESSON 12: TYPES OF MIXTURES. [online] Available at: http://www.scs.sk.ca/cyber/elem/
learningcommunity/sciences/science10/curr_content/science10/unita/redon12.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2015].
University of MissouriKansas City, (2015). Mixtures: Solutions and Colloids. [online] Available at: http://g.web.umkc.edu/gounevt/
Weblec212Silb/L6%2813.1%29.pdf [Accessed 11 Jan. 2015].
Volland, W. (2011). How Things Dissolve. [online] Online Introductory Chemistry. Available at: http://www.800mainstreet.com/
9/0009-002-process.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2015].