What are the differences between solutions, colloids and suspensions

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	Solutions	Suspensions	Colloids
Appearance	Clear, transparent and homogeneous	Cloudy, heterogeneous, at least two substances visible	Cloudy but uniform and homogeneous
Particle Size	molecule in size	larger than 10,000 Angstroms	10-1000 Angstroms
Effect of Light (Tyndall Effect)	none -- light passes through, particles do not reflect light	variable	light is dispersed by colloidal particles
Effect of Sedimentation	none	particles will eventually settle out	none

==>> For more on Mixtures (Solutions, Suspensions, Emulsions, Colloids )

In summary:

A solution is always transparent, light passes through with no scattering from solute particles which are molecule in size. The solution is homogeneous and does not settle out. A solution cannot be filtered but can be separated using the process of distillation.

A suspension is cloudy and heterogeneous. The particles are larger than 10,000 Angstroms which allows them to be filtered. If a suspension is allowed to stand the particles will separate out.

A colloid is intermediate between a solution and a suspension. While a suspension will separate out a colloid will not. Colloids can be distinguished from solutions using the Tyndall effect. Light passing through a colloidal dispersion, such as smoky or foggy air, will be reflected by the larger particles and the light beam will be visible. A hydrocolloid can simply be defined as a substance that forms a gel when it comes in contact with water. Such substances include both polysaccharides and proteins .