colloid
Meaning: A mixture in which microscopically dispersed particles of one substance are suspended throughout another, with the particles too small to settle but too large to form a true solution.
Colloids occupy a middle ground between solutions and suspensions. Common examples include milk (fat droplets in water), fog (water droplets in air), and paint (pigment particles in a liquid). Colloids exhibit distinctive properties, including the Tyndall effect (scattering of light by suspended particles). In medicine, colloidal solutions are used for intravenous fluid replacement. In materials science, colloidal chemistry underpins the production of inks, cosmetics, and nanoparticles. The adjective 'colloidal' is used more frequently than the noun.
Examples
- Milk is a colloid in which tiny fat globules are dispersed throughout an aqueous medium, giving it its characteristic opacity. 牛奶是一种胶体,其中微小的脂肪球分散在水性介质中,赋予其特有的不透明性。La leche es un coloide en el que diminutos glóbulos de grasa están dispersos en un medio acuoso, lo que le confiere su opacidad característica.牛乳は、微小な脂肪球が水性媒体中に分散したコロイドであり、その特有の不透明さはそのためである。우유는 미세한 지방구가 수성 매질 속에 분산된 콜로이드로, 그 특유의 불투명함은 이 때문이다.
- The Tyndall effect — the scattering of a beam of light through a colloid — provides a simple test to distinguish colloidal mixtures from true solutions. 丁达尔效应——光束通过胶体时的散射——提供了一种区分胶体混合物和真溶液的简单测试方法。El efecto Tyndall — la dispersión de un haz de luz a través de un coloide — proporciona una prueba sencilla para distinguir las mezclas coloidales de las soluciones verdaderas.チンダル現象——コロイドを通過する光線の散乱——は、コロイド混合物と真の溶液を区別する簡単な試験法である。틴들 현상—콜로이드를 통과하는 광선의 산란—은 콜로이드 혼합물과 진용액을 구별하는 간단한 시험법이다.
- Researchers are developing colloidal silver nanoparticles for use in antimicrobial coatings on medical devices. 研究人员正在开发用于医疗器械抗菌涂层的胶体银纳米颗粒。Los investigadores están desarrollando nanopartículas de plata coloidal para su uso en recubrimientos antimicrobianos de dispositivos médicos.研究者たちは、医療機器の抗菌コーティングに使用するためのコロイド銀ナノ粒子を開発している。연구자들은 의료 기기의 항균 코팅에 사용하기 위한 콜로이드 은 나노입자를 개발하고 있다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: science, academic, medicine
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Greek kolla (glue) with the suffix -oid (resembling). Coined by the Scottish chemist Thomas Graham in 1861, who classified substances as either crystalloids (which form true solutions) or colloids.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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