Colloids

Colloids are mixtures formed by two or more substances, where the insoluble particles of one are microscopically dispersed throughout the other. Colloids always have a dispersed phase and a continuous phase (Figure 1).

Figure 1. An example of colloid: vinaigrette. Vinegar is the dispersed phase and olive oil the continuous phase. Image source : Vinagreta Catalana - Wikimedia Commons/ This image has been modified from the original.

Depending on the state of each phase, there are different types of colloids:

Due to the size of the dispersed particles, some colloids have the ability to scatter light in the so-called Tyndall effect.