Suspension vs Solution
Chemistry is the physical science which deals with matter and the changes that it goes through during chemical reactions. It deals with the chemical reaction between substances that are mixed together and how they are transformed into another substance.
Solutions and suspensions are mixtures of different substances. They are formed by combining a substance with one or more substances that have different characteristics.
Solutions are homogeneous, that is, their volumes have uniform components and properties. The sizes of the particles in solutions are at the ion or molecular level. They are transparent and light can pass through them.
Solutions have two components; the solute, which is the material that is to be dissolved, and the solvent, which is the substance that dissolves the solute. The solution can have color if the solute is able to absorb light. In a solution, the solute is completely dissolved by the solvent and goes through a chemical change.
Solvents can be:
Gases which can dissolve other forms of gas. An example is air which is oxygen dissolved in nitrogen.
Liquids which can dissolve gases, solids, and liquids. An example is carbonated water which is carbon dioxide dissolved in water.
Solids which can dissolve solids, liquids, and gases. An example is steel wherein carbon atoms are dissolved in iron atoms.
The components of a solution cannot be separated by filtration or by letting it stand. Solubility can either be miscible, wherein two liquids completely dissolve when mixed together; or immiscible, wherein two substances cannot form a solution when mixed. An example of immiscibility is water and oil.
Suspensions, on the other hand, are heterogeneous with volumes having different properties. The particles of suspensions are large and can be seen by the naked eye. They are opaque and murky and light cannot pass through them Suspensions are unstable, and their components separate on standing. They can be separated by filtration and are classified according to their dispersed phase which can be solid and their dispersion medium which may be solid, liquid, or gas.
Examples of suspensions are: flour, chalk powder, and soil which are suspended in water (mud), blood, paint, dust suspended in the air, aerosol spray, algae in water, and sand in water.
Summary:
1.Solutions are mixtures that are homogeneous while suspensions are mixtures that are heterogeneous.
2.The particles of a solution are at the ion or molecular level and cannot be seen by the naked eye while the particles of a suspension can be seen by the naked eye.
3.The components of a solution do not separate on standing or by filtration while the components of a suspension separate on standing and by filtration.
4.In a solution, the substances are completely mixed together while in a suspension they are not.
5.Light can pass through a solution because it is usually transparent while a suspension is opaque making it impossible for light to pass through.
6.In a solution, the solute takes on the properties of the solvent while in a suspension it does not.