We just said that solutions represent homogeneous mixtures. And when it comes to mixtures, solutions aren't the only important term to remember. We also have suspensions and colloids. Now, suspensions represent heterogeneous mixtures, and in these heterogeneous mixtures we have large solute particles that have the potential to float within the solvent.
Then we have colloids. Colloids represent yet another homogeneous mixture. The difference now though, in solutions, the particles completely dissolve within our solvent, so they're not easy to see. But in a colloid, they're intermediate intermediately sized particles that can also float within a solvent. Now when it comes to their particle sizes, we're going to say for suspension the particles are larger, so they tend to be greater than 500 nm in terms of size. And for colloids, they tend to be less than 500 nm.
Now because of their increased size, because they're larger, these particles will eventually settle, and they could settle either on the top or on the bottom. Where they settle really depends on the density of the solvent. But all you need to remember is that when it comes to suspensions, the particles being larger means they can eventually settle coiloids, though their particles are not as large. So these these particles, they never settle. They never settle on the top or the bottom. They kind of stay suspended somewhere in the middle of the solvent.
Now what a great examples of suspensions and colloids. Well, a great example for a suspension could be Italian salad dressing, because an Italian salad dressing, what do we have? We have oil. We have vinegar. What else do we have? Oops. Vinegar. Vinegar. We have herbs. We have spices and if you really look at a tiling dressing, you can see those particles floating around within the liquid.
Examples of colloids we have. A great example would be milk. Now in milk you have suspended within the liquid portion of it you have like fat cells, fat particles, you have Cassian. You have a lot of different things that are suspended within the milk itself and these things are constantly floating within milk. They don't sell on the top or the bottom all right. So just remember solutions are homogeneous mixtures. But mixtures also can talk about suspensions and colloids.