FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

LABORATORY REPORT

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
(CHM 431)

Title of Experiment Properties Of Colloidal Dispersion

No. Experiment 7

Name of student Ernie Najwa Najihah Binti Faidi

Student ID number 2017283562

Programme code AS246

Partner’s name Syeril Nurfatihah Binti Suhaimi

Date of experiment is done 6th May 2018

Date of lab report is submitted 27th May 2018

Lecturer’s name Dr. Noraini Binti Hamzah

Instructor’s name Erma Hafiza

INTRODUCTION
A colloid is a dispersion of particles of one substance throughout a dispersion medium
made of another substance. The distributed substance is the disperse phase and the continuous
substance is the dispersion medium. In colloidal solution, particles are dispersed or spread
throughout the dispersion such as water. The size of colloid particles is intermediate between
the coarse suspension and ordinary solution. Therefore, colloids are somewhere between a
homogeneous solution and heterogeneous mixture. Random collisions keep them dispersed
throughout the dispersion medium due to the small particle size and neither sinks to the bottom
nor dissolves the solvent. The course particle suspension can be seen under a microscope and
will settle under the action of gravity while the colloidal solution particle are not visible under
microscope but instead, can be detected under an electron microscope. These particles of a
colloidal solution may be very large single molecules or aggregates of small molecules, atom
or ions.

OBJECTIVES
1. To study the general properties of a ferric hydroxide sol, starch solution and some true
solutions.

APPARATUS
1. Beaker or conical flask (1dm3)
2. Test tube
3. Boiling tube
4. Teat pipette
5. Filter funnel and filter paper
6. Cellophane membrane
7. Hot water bath

CHEMICALS
1. Ferric hydroxide sol, Fe(O)3
2. Deionised water
3. 5% starch solution
4. 1% starch solution
5. 10% sucrose solution
6. 0.1M Sodium chloride solution, NaCl
 7. Dilute iodine solution
8. 0.1M Silver nitrate solution, AgNO3
9. 0.1M Sodium phosphate solution, Na3PO4
10. 0.1M Sodium sulphate solution,Na2SO4
11. Potassium chromate solution, K2CrO4
12. Fehling solution
13. Dilute sulphuric acid, H2SO4
14. Potassium hexacyanoferrate (II) trihydrate, K4Fe(CN)6.3H2O or
Potassium hexacyanoferrate (III), K3Fe(CN)6 or
Potassium thiocyanate, KSCN.

PROCEDURE
A. Dialysis
Five dry test tubes was cleaned and filled with 5cm3 each of the following
solutions:
Test tube A: 5% starch solution
Test tube B: sodium chloride solution 0.1M
Test tube C: Ferric hydroxide solution
Test tube D: 10% sugar solution
Test tube E: potassium chromate solution

The mouth of the test tubes was wrapped with pre – soaked cellophane
membrane and fasten it tightly with a thread. It was then dipped in different small
beakers containing deionised water and was clamped and leaved for one hour. The
water level in the beaker was make sure is always lower9 than the level of the solutions
in the test tubes. After one hour of dialysis, 3cm3 of the deionised water in each beakers
was took and tested with a few drops of the following reagents:

Starch solution: dilute iodine solution

Chloride solution: silver nitrate solution
Fe3+ ions solution: potassium hexacyanoferrate (II) trihydrate solution
Sugar solution: Fehling solution (the mixture was warmed to about
60ºC in the water bath)
 Chromate ion solution: ethanol solution (4 – 6 drops of dilute H2SO4
was added to the mixture and was then warmed in water bath at a
temperature above 80ºC)

The observations was then recorded.

B. Stability Of Ferric Hydroxide Sol

Three test tube was cleaned and dried and was then filled with 2cm3 of ferric
hydroxide sol, labelled as test tube 1,2 and 3. 2cm3 of an electrolyte was next added to
each of the test tubes according to the table below:
Test Tube Type Of Electrolyte Added
1 Sodium Chloride, NaCl
2 Sodium Sulphate, Naso4
3 Sodium Phosphate, Na3PO4

The test tubes was then shook well after the addition of the electrolyte and was
left to stand for a few minutes. The observation was then recorded.

C. Tyndall Effect
Five 100cm3 beakers was cleaned and dried, labelled as A, B, C, D and E. each
beaker was then filled about ½ full with the following solutions:

Beaker A: 1% starch solution

Beaker B: 5% starch solution
Beaker C: ferric hydroxide solution
Beaker D: 10% sugar solution
Beaker E: potassium chromate solution

The Tyndall Effect of each of the solution was observed by using a narrow beam
of light from a laser pointer and the observation was then recorded.
RESULTS
A. Dialysis
Test Tube Observation
A No reaction
B Colourless to cloudy
C Blue black solution formed
D Light blue to brick rich solution
E Yellow to green solution

B. Stability Of Ferric Hydroxide Sol

Test Tube Observation
1 No precipitate form
2 Precipitated formed
3 More precipitate formed (chalky)

C. Tyndall Effect
Beaker Observation
A Light less scattered
B Light more scattered
C Light slightly scattered
D Light not scattered
E Light not scattered

DISCUSSION
Colloid dispersions exhibit several properties. Among these are the scattering of a light
beam directed through a colloidal dispersion. This is known as the Tyndall effect and its
magnitude is due to the size and number of particles present. When observed under ambient
light, colloidal dispersions may appear translucent, opalescent or cloudy depending on the type
of colloid and the degree of particle concentration and dispersion. The Tyndall effect is due to
the scattering of light by colloidal particles. Since the dimensions of colloidal particles are
comparable to the wavelength of ultraviolet and visible radiations, they scatter these and get
illuminated. Tyndall effect may be defined as the scattering of light by colloidal particles
present in a colloidal solution. Tyndall effect is not exhibited by true solutions. This is because
the ions or molecules present in a true solution are too small to scatter light. Thus, Tyndall
effect can be used to distinguish a colloidal solution from a true solution. Tyndall effect also
establishes the fact that colloidal systems are heterogeneous in nature.
Next, dialysis is the process of separating the electrolytes in the colloidal state from those
present in the true solution by means of diffusion through a semi-permeable membrane that is
based on the fact that colloidal particles are retained by a semi - permeable membrane while
the ions of the electrolyte pass through it.
In the stability of sol experiment, the coagulation was shown where it is the irreversible
collapse of the colloidal particles into bulk phase and settles as precipitate. Besides that,
lyophilic sols are more stable and show greater resistance to coagulation than lyophobic sols
because most of lyophilic sols are neutral. Lyophobic sols are stable due to repulsion between
similarly changed particles. If this charge is removed by adding electrolytes, coagulation
occurs. The particles come together to form larger masses, which settles under the action of
gravity.

CONCLUSION
To conclude, from this experiment, the general properties of a ferric hydroxide solution, starch
solution as well as some true solution was determined and identified. The objectives of this
experiment was successfully achieved.

QUESTIONS

1. With an appropriate example, explain the difference between true solution,

suspension and colloid.
True Solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances in which
substance dissolved in solvent has the particle size of less than 10-9 m or 1 nm. Simple
solution of sugar in water is an example of true solution. Particles of true solution
cannot be filtered through filter paper and are not visible to naked eye.
Suspension is a heterogeneous mixture in which particle size of one or more
components is greater than 1000nm. Contrary to True solution, particles of suspension
are big enough to be seen with naked eye. Mud is an example of a suspension.
Colloidal is a heterogeneous mixture in which particle size of substance is
intermediate of true solution and suspension between 1-1000 nm. Smoke from a fire is
 example of colloidal system in which tiny particles of solid float in air. Just like true
solutions, colloidal particles are small enough and cannot be seen through naked eyes.

2. What are gels and their types? For different type of gels explain their differences
on dehydration and soaking properties.

Types of gel and their differences in term of dehydration and soaking properties. Elastic
gel possessed elasticity properties. For its dehydration properties, the elastic gel turns
to solid mass on dehydration which can again be converted into gel by addition of water
followed by heating and cooling. The second type of gel is non – elastic gel that turns
to solid mass on dehydration but the solid mass cannot be converted again into gel after
addition of water followed by heating and cooling. In soaking properties, the gel will
absorbed water and swell when soaked into water while the water is not absorbed by
the non – elastic gel and the size remains when soaked into water.

3. What kind of information can be obtained from light – scattering experiment on

colloidal particles, in aqueous solutions? Explain your answer.
When light passes through a medium that contain no particles larger than about 10-9 m
in diameter, the path of the light cannot be detected and the medium is said to be
optically clear. When, colloidal particle is present, some of the light is scattered and the
incident beam passed through weakened intensity. The scattering is called Tyndall
effect. While, the path of the light through the medium, made visible as a result of
scattering known as Tyndall beam. Analysis of the scattering as a function of the angles
provides valuable information about the sizes and shapes of colloidal particles. When
these are singles macromolecules, the technique is therefore useful in determining
molar mass.

REFERENCE
1. Aniruddha R., (2010), Surface and Colloid Chemistry Principles and Applications,
Retrieved from December 10, 2014 from
https://www.scribd.com/doc/55436426/Surface-and- Colloid-Chemistry-
Principles-and-Applications

2. https://shankerdayal.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/difference-between-true-solution-
suspension-and-colloidal-solution/