Suspension vs. Colloid: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
A suspension contains larger, non-dissolved particles that settle over time, whereas a colloid has smaller, evenly distributed particles that don't settle.
Key Differences
Suspension is a heterogeneous mixture where particles are larger and eventually settle at the bottom due to gravity. Colloid is a mixture where particles are smaller and remain distributed throughout the solution, providing more stability with no settling.
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Dec 08, 2023
In suspension, the particles are typically larger, typically over 1000 nanometers, making them visible and leading to sedimentation. In a colloid, particle size ranges from 1 to 1000 nanometers, which is too small to be seen individually but large enough to scatter light (Tyndall effect).
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Dec 08, 2023
In a suspension, particles are visible to the naked eye, and the mixture can be separated by filtration. In a colloid, particles are not visible, and the mixture cannot be easily separated through ordinary filtration.
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Dec 08, 2023
An example of a suspension is mud in water, where particles eventually settle. In contrast, milk is a colloidal mixture where fat globules are dispersed in water and do not settle.
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Dec 08, 2023
Suspensions are often used in pharmaceuticals for oral suspensions of drugs, while colloids are used in many food products, cosmetics, and industrial applications due to their stability.
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Dec 08, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Visibility
Particles visible, settles over time
Particles not visible, don’t settle
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Separation Method
Can be separated by filtration
Cannot be easily separated by filtration
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Dec 08, 2023
Application in Daily Life
Pharmaceuticals, environmental science
Foods, paints, medical treatments
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Dec 08, 2023
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Suspension and Colloid Definitions
Suspension
A system of springs and shock absorbers in a vehicle.
The car's smooth ride was due to its advanced suspension system.
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Nov 26, 2023
Colloid
A stable mixture of two immiscible substances.
Ice cream is a tasty colloid made from ice crystals and fat droplets.
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Nov 26, 2023
Suspension
A mixture where particles are suspended in a fluid.
The muddy water was a suspension of soil particles in water.
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Nov 26, 2023
Colloid
A light-sensitive gelatin used in photography.
The photographer used a colloid coating on the paper for better image quality.
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Nov 26, 2023
Suspension
An interruption or temporary cessation, as of an activity or of the application of a rule or law.
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Oct 19, 2023
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Colloid
A mixture where microscopically dispersed insoluble particles are suspended throughout another substance.
Mayonnaise is a colloid consisting of oil droplets dispersed in a water-vinegar solution.
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Nov 26, 2023
Suspension
A temporary prohibition or exclusion, as from attending school or enjoying a privilege, especially as a punishment.
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Oct 19, 2023
Colloid
A plasma expander used in medicine.
The patient was given a colloid solution to improve blood volume.
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Nov 26, 2023
Colloid
A system in which finely divided particles, which are approximately 1 to 1,000 millimicrons in size, are dispersed within a continuous medium in a manner that prevents them from being filtered easily or settled rapidly.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The prolongation of one or more tones of a chord into a following chord to create a temporary dissonance.
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Oct 19, 2023
Colloid
The gelatinous stored secretion of the thyroid gland, consisting mainly of thyroglobulin.
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Oct 19, 2023
Colloid
Gelatinous material resulting from degeneration in diseased tissue.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The system of springs and other devices that insulates the chassis of a vehicle from shocks transmitted through the wheels.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
(Chemistry) A system in which minute particles are dispersed throughout a fluid from which they are easily filtered but not easily settled because of system viscosity or molecular interactions.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The act of suspending, or the state of being suspended.
Suspension from a hook
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Oct 19, 2023
Colloid
(chemistry) A stable system of two phases, one of which is dispersed in the other in the form of very small droplets or particles.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
A temporary or conditional delay, interruption or discontinuation.
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Oct 19, 2023
Colloid
(meteorology) An intimate mixture of two substances, one of which, called the dispersed phase (or colloid), is uniformly distributed in a finely divided state throughout the second substance, called the dispersion medium (or dispersing medium).
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The state of a solid or substance produced when its particles are mixed with, but not dissolved in, a fluid, and are capable of separation by straining.
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Oct 19, 2023
Colloid
(geology) A particle less than 1 micron in diameter, following the Wentworth scale
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Oct 19, 2023
Colloid
Resembling glue or jelly; characterized by a jellylike appearance; gelatinous; as, colloid tumors.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The act of keeping a person who is listening in doubt and expectation of what is to follow.
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Colloid
A substance (as albumin, gum, gelatin, etc.) which is of a gelatinous rather than a crystalline nature, and which diffuses itself through animal membranes or vegetable parchment more slowly than crystalloids do; - opposed to crystalloid.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The temporary barring of a person from a workplace, society, etc. pending investigation into alleged misconduct.
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Oct 19, 2023
Colloid
A gelatinous substance found in colloid degeneration and colloid cancer.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
(education) The process of barring a student from school grounds as a form of punishment (particularly out-of-school suspension).
Suspension from school as a disciplinary measure
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Colloid
A mixture with properties between those of a solution and fine suspension
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
(music) The act of or discord produced by prolonging one or more tones of a chord into the chord which follows, thus producing a momentary discord, suspending the concord which the ear expects.
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Oct 19, 2023
Colloid
A substance microscopically dispersed evenly throughout another substance.
The colloid solution in the lab remained stable without the particles settling.
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Nov 26, 2023
Suspension
A stay or postponement of the execution of a sentence, usually by letters of suspension granted on application to the Lord Ordinary.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
(topology) A topological space derived from another by taking the product of the original space with an interval and collapsing each end of the product to a point.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
(topology) A function derived, in a standard way, from another, such that the instant function’s domain and codomain are suspensions of the original function’s.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
(vehicle) The system of springs and shock absorbers connected to the wheels in an automobile, which allows the vehicle to move smoothly with reduced shock to its occupants.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The act of suspending, or the state of being suspended; pendency; as, suspension from a hook.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
A conditional withholding, interruption, or delay; as, the suspension of a payment on the performance of a condition.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The state of a solid when its particles are mixed with, but undissolved in, a fluid, and are capable of separation by straining; also, any substance in this state.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
A keeping of the hearer in doubt and in attentive expectation of what is to follow, or of what is to be the inference or conclusion from the arguments or observations employed.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
A stay or postponement of execution of a sentence condemnatory by means of letters of suspension granted on application to the lord ordinary.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The prolongation of one or more tones of a chord into the chord which follows, thus producing a momentary discord, suspending the concord which the ear expects. Cf. Retardation.
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
A mixture in which fine particles are suspended in a fluid where they are supported by buoyancy
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
A time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
A mechanical system of springs or shock absorbers connecting the wheels and axles to the chassis of a wheeled vehicle
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The act of suspending something (hanging it from above so it moves freely);
There was a small ceremony for the hanging of the portrait
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Oct 19, 2023
Suspension
The temporary removal of someone from an organization.
The player faced a two-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct.
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Nov 26, 2023
Suspension
The act of suspending or the state of being suspended.
The suspension of the chandelier from the ceiling added elegance to the room.
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Nov 26, 2023
Suspension
Halting or delaying a process or condition.
The court ordered the suspension of the new regulation pending further review.
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Nov 26, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is a suspension?
A suspension is a heterogeneous mixture in which solid particles or liquid droplets are dispersed in a liquid or gas, but they eventually settle out over time.
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Dec 08, 2023
Give an example of a suspension.
An example of a suspension is a mixture of sand and water, where the sand particles settle at the bottom when left undisturbed.
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Dec 08, 2023
How can you prevent particles from settling in a suspension?
By constantly stirring or agitating the suspension, you can prevent the particles from settling temporarily.
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Dec 08, 2023
Can you filter a suspension to separate its components?
Yes, you can use a filter to separate the solid particles or liquid droplets from the liquid in a suspension.
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Dec 08, 2023
Can you separate the components of a colloid by filtration?
Filtration alone is usually not effective in separating the components of a colloid because the particles are too small to be trapped by a filter.
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Dec 08, 2023
Provide an example of a colloid.
Milk is a common example of a colloid, with fat globules dispersed in water.
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Dec 08, 2023
What is the Tyndall effect in colloids?
The Tyndall effect is the scattering of light by the fine particles or droplets in a colloid, making the beam of light visible, which is not observed in true solutions.
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Dec 08, 2023
Are suspensions and colloids both heterogeneous mixtures?
Yes, both suspensions and colloids are heterogeneous mixtures because their components are not uniformly distributed.
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Dec 08, 2023
Is a suspension transparent or opaque?
Suspensions are typically opaque or cloudy because of the visible particles within them.
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Dec 08, 2023
How does a colloid differ from a suspension?
Colloids have smaller particles that remain suspended for a more extended period and do not settle out like the larger particles in a suspension.
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Dec 08, 2023
What is the key difference between a suspension and a colloid?
The key difference is that suspensions have larger and less stable particles that settle out, while colloids have smaller, more stable particles that remain dispersed.
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Dec 08, 2023
What is a colloid?
A colloid is a type of heterogeneous mixture in which fine solid particles or liquid droplets are evenly dispersed in another substance, typically a liquid, creating a stable and semi-transparent solution.
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Dec 08, 2023
Which is more stable, a suspension or a colloid?
Colloids are generally more stable than suspensions because their particles are smaller and less likely to settle.
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Dec 08, 2023
Do suspensions and colloids have practical applications?
Yes, both suspensions and colloids have numerous practical applications in various industries, including medicine, food, and cosmetics.
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Dec 08, 2023
Can you see individual particles in a colloid with the naked eye?
In most cases, individual particles in a colloid are too small to be seen with the naked eye, making the mixture appear uniform.
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Dec 08, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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