Experiment 2: COLLOIDS

OBJECTIVES

 To prepare colloidal dispersions

 To differentiate colloidal dispersions from true solutions and suspensions
 To identify the properties of colloidal dispersions
 To observe the semi-permeability of membranes to colloidal dispersions

PROCEDURE

A. Preparation of colloidal solutions

Sol of Fe(OH)3

1. To 50mL of boiling water, add dropwise about 1mL of boiling 1.0M FeCl3 solution.
2. Continue boiling until no further change is evident.
3. Cool to room temperature
4. Observe the properties of the sol

Gel

1. Pour 10mL of ethyl alcohol into 1mL of saturated calcium acetate aqueous solution
and swirl quickly.
2. Observe the properties of the gel formed.

Emulsion

1. To about 5mL of water in a test tube, add dropwise with shaking 10 drops of benzene
or kerosene. Observe
2. Add 2mL of detergent solution and shake until the benzene or kerosene is evenly
dispersed in water
3. Compare the properties of the mixtures produced in step 1 and step 2

Smoke

1. Drop a lighted matchstick into a test tube and stopper. Observe.

B. Properties of some colloidal dispersion

Semi-permeability through dialysis

1. In a small cellophane bag, put 5mL of 1% starch solution and 25mL of 1% sodium
chloride solution.
2. Tie a string around the top of the bag and suspend it on a glass rod laid across a
400mL beaker containing distilled water, such that the level of the fluids inside and
outside are the same.
3. After 30 minutes, get 1.0mL of water from the beaker and add 5 drops of silver nitrate
solution. Observe what happens
Particle size

1. Filter approximately 10mL of muddy water. Observe the filtrate and the residue
2. Repeat step 1, this time using CuSO4 solution. Observe the filtrate and residue (if
there is any).
3. Compare the particle size of the three mixtures based on their filterability.

Adsorption

1. To 10mL of aqueous solution of methylene blue in a test tube, add a pinch of

activated charcoal.
2. Stopper the tube and shake vigorously for 5 minutes.
3. Filter and note the color of the filtrate and compare it with the color of the mixture
before charcoal was added.

Tyndall Effect

1. In four labelled test tubes, place 10mL of the following separately filtered substances:
(1) 5% CuSO4 solution, (2) starch solution, (3) albumin solution, (4) water.
2. Make a narrow slit of about 1cm x 0.25cm in a piece of cardboard and fold it into four
parts
3. Place the one of the test tubes inside the cardboard and illuminate through the slit
using a flashlight
4. View the tube from the side perpendicular to the light beam and note your
observation.
5. Do the same for the other test tubes containing the samples.

Viscosity

1. Fill up a pipette with distilled water up to the zero mark, hold it in a vertical position
and allow it to drain
2. Note the number of seconds required in emptying it.
3. Do the same to Fe(OH)3 sol and 5% albumin.

C. Precipitation of Colloids

Effect of Electrolytes

1. In two separate test tubes, place 2mL of the following: Fe(OH)3 sol, 5% albumin.
2. To the test tube containing Fe(OH)3 sol, add dropwise the saturated solution of
(NH4)2SO4 and note the number of drops needed to produce a permanent precipitate.
Note the color of the precipitate formed.
3. Repeat step 2, this time use 5% albumin instead of Fe(OH)3 sol.

D. Donnan Membrane Equilibrium

1. In two separate beakers, place 25mL of the following:
Beaker 1 – 5% albumin
 Beaker 2 – distilled water

2. Add 3 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to each beaker.

3. To the beaker with water, add 0.01M NaOH dropwise until the pink color develops.
4. Do the same with the beaker-containing albumin until the pink color matches with
that of the water
5. Transfer the albumin to a cellophane bag and tie its open end with string
6. Suspend the cellophane bag with albumin into the beaker containing water with
NaOH
7. Allow the set-up stand for 45 minutes, and observe for any color change in the water
in the water in the beaker and the albumin in the cellophane bag
8. To clearly observe the difference in the pin shade, place 5mL of the water/NaOH
solution in one test tube and 5mL of the albumin/NaOH solution in another and
observe the color against a white background.
Experiment 2: COLLOIDS

Score:

Group number Group members

Course/Year Date performed Date submitted

Laboratory class schedule Laboratory Instructor/Professor

POST-LAB ACTIVITY
Table 1. Description of the various prepared colloidal solution

Colloidal System Observation

Fe(OH)3 sol

Calcium acetate gel

Benzene/water

w/o detergent

w/ detergent

Cigarette smoke

Exploratory Questions:

1. What kind of colloidal system is the Fe(OH) 3 sol? How is it formed? What is/are the
expected characteristic/s of Fe(OH)3 sol? Is it lyophilic or a lyophobic system?

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2. What kind of colloidal system is the calcium acetate gel? How is it formed? What is/are
expected characteristic/s of the calcium acetate gel?

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3. What kind of colloidal system is the benzene/detergent mixture? How is it formed? What
is/are the expected characteristic/s emulsion? What is the role of detergent in the
preparation of this emulsion? Is emulsion the same ad emulsion? Why? Why not?

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4. How would you describe the smoke that was formed from the cigarette? What kind of
colloidal system does the cigarette smoke belongs? What is/are the expected
characteristic/s of this colloidal system?

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Table 2. Observed properties of colloidal system

Colloidal Properties Observation

Dialysis
Reaction w/ AgNO3
Reaction w/ I2/KI
Particle Size
Fe(OH)3
Muddy water
CuSO4 solution
Adsorption
Color before filtration
Color after filtration
Tyndall effect
CuSO4 solution
5% albumin
Water
Starch
Viscosity
Distilled water
5% albumin

Exploratory Questions:

5. What is proven by the result obtained with the reaction of silver nitrate with the water in
the beaker? With I2/KI? What is the meaning of semi-permeability? What is permeable and
what and what is not? What determines permeability?

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6. What is the Tyndall effect? How is Tyndall effect observed in this experiment? Which of
the four substances exhibit Tyndall effect? Why do they exhibit Tyndall effect?
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7. Account for the difference in color of the filtrate of aqueous methylene blue and that of the
original mixture. What is the importance of the principle of adsorption in colloidal system?
What determines the adsorbing power of a given adsorbent? Relate this to colloidal system.

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8. How ‘filterability’ does distinguishes the particle size of the three given systems in the
experiment?

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9. What are the factor/s affecting viscosity of a substance? How would these factors account
for the observed viscosity difference of the substance used in the experiment?

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Table 3. Precipitation of Colloids: (a) the number of drops of electrolyte required to
precipitate a colloid; (b) appearance of precipitate formed when two colloids are mixed
together

Observation
(a) Precipitation by a
electrolyte
Fe(OH)3 sol
5% gelatin

(b) Mutual precipitation

Gelatin + Fe(OH)3

Exploratory Question/s:

10. How can electrolytes promote the precipitation of colloids? Discuss the mechanism of
precipitation of colloid by an electrolyte? Which of the two colloids precipitate first? Why?

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11. How colloids can promotes the precipitation of another colloid? Discuss the mechanism
of the mutual precipitation of colloids?

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Table 4. Demonstration of Donnan Membrane Equilibrium

System Before standing After standing

Water + NaOH

Gelatin + NaOH

Exploratory Questions:

12. Account for the difference in the color of the two-solutions after 30 minutes. Why is the
color on one test tube lighter, and darker, and darker in another? What happens? What is
meant by Donnan Membrane equilibrium?

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References:

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Conclusion:

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