Suspension Definition and Properties
The substance of little size particles that are insoluble in the solvent, but which are visible distinctly through the naked eye is called a suspension. Thus it is a heterogeneous mixture of two or more substances and in it, the sizes of the dispersed particles are of the order of 10-5 cm or more. The little particles can be filtered and these are temporary which have a common tendency to scatter from the medium of dispersion. There are so many examples of suspension in our common walk of life like the water of the river, smoke in atmospheric air, etc.
Properties of Suspension
- The suspension is a heterogeneous mixture.
- The particles of suspension can be seen by the naked eye and its size is of the order of 10-5 cm or more.
- The particles of suspension scatter a beam of light passing through it and make its path transparent (visible).
- The suspension is unstable because the solute particles settle down when it is left undistributed. That's why the solute can be separated from the mixture by the process of filtration. Thus when the solute (particles) is settled down then the suspension breaks and it doesn't scatter light anymore in any direction.