Colloid

A mixture in which particles of one substance are dispersed throughout another without dissolving at the molecular level. Its particles are small enough to remain suspended but large enough to scatter light.

Solution: A homogeneous mixture in which a solute is dispersed at molecular or ionic scale in a solvent. Its molecular-scale dispersion contrasts with the larger dispersed particles in a colloid.
Zeta potential: The electrical potential near the slipping plane of a particle moving through a liquid. It indicates electrostatic repulsion that can help prevent colloidal particles from aggregating.
Emulsion: A colloid in which droplets of one liquid are dispersed in another immiscible liquid. It is the liquid-in-liquid form found in products such as mayonnaise and milk.
Homogeneous mixture: A mixture with uniform composition and properties throughout at the scale of observation. Colloids can look uniform while retaining distinct dispersed and continuous phases.
Colloid chemistry: The study of dispersed particles, interfaces, and interactions in colloidal systems. It provides the broader scientific framework for understanding colloid properties.
Suspension: A heterogeneous mixture containing particles large enough to settle out under gravity or be filtered. Its particles settle more readily than colloidal particles.
DLVO theory: A theory explaining colloidal stability through the balance of van der Waals attraction and electrostatic repulsion. It models why colloidal particles either remain dispersed or aggregate.
Aerosol: A colloid in which solid particles or liquid droplets are dispersed in a gas. It is the gas-based form present in mist, smoke, and sprays.
Heterogeneous mixture: A mixture whose composition or properties vary between distinguishable regions or phases. A colloid is heterogeneous at particle scale even when it appears uniform to the eye.
Thomas Graham: A Scottish chemist who studied diffusion and distinguished colloids from crystalloids in the nineteenth century. His diffusion experiments established an early basis for classifying colloidal substances.

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