Name Class Date

Solutions, Colloids, and Suspensions

Enrichment Activity
Skills: interpreting tables, comparing, applying concepts
The table below summarizes the various properties of solutions, colloids, and
suspensions. Study the table. Then, answer the questions that follow.

SOLUTIONS, COLLOIDS, AND SUSPENSIONS

Property Solution Colloid Suspension
Particle type atoms, ions, molecules small particles that large clusters of
bump into molecules of particles
the surrounding
material
Particles visible with no no yes
microscope
Particles settle on no no yes
standing
Particles separate by no no yes
filtering
Particles scatter light no yes yes
Examples salt water fog, smoke muddy water

1. Name two properties that make solutions different from colloids. ________________________________

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2. Name three properties that solutions and colloids have in common. ______________________________

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3. What property do colloids and suspensions have in common? ___________________________________

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4. If the label on product X has “Shake before using,” do you think product X is a solution, a colloid,
or a suspension? Why? ______________________________________________________________________

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5. Why can you see the beam of a car’s headlights in the fog, but not in clear air? ____________________

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Concepts and Challenges in Physical Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM

(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
Answer Key
Solutions, Colloids, and Suspensions
Enrichment Activity
1. Solutions have particle type and cannot
scatter light. 2. Both have particles that are not
visible with a microscope, that do not settle on
standing, and that cannot be separated by
3. The particles of both scatter light. 4. suspension,
because the need to shake implies that the particles
will settle on standing 5. Fog, which is a colloid,
has the ability to scatter light, but air is a solution, so
it does not scatter light.

Concepts and Challenges in Physical Science Copyright © by Pearson Learning Inc. All rights reserved. Suspensions