Question

Identify the component which when mixed with water, shows Tyndall effect.
(A) Sugar
(B) Vinegar
(C) Copper sulphate
(D) Paint

Answer 1

The component which shows the Tyndall effect when it is mixed with water is:

(D) Paint

• When the paint stirs slowly, tiny pigment particles become suspended and spread evenly all over the liquid. This uniform dispersion of pigments is called a colloid.
• A colloid shows the Tyndall effect - it is the scattering of a light beam by a medium containing microscopic suspended particles
• This effect is exhibited by all colloidal solutions and some very fine suspensions. Therefore, it can be used to verify if a given solution is a colloid.
• The intensity of scattered light depends on the density of the colloidal particles as well as the frequency of the incident light.
• When a beam of light passes through a colloid, the colloidal particles present in the solution do not allow the beam to completely pass through, hence the path of the light is visible to us.

(A) Sugar - sugar mixed with water forms a sugar solution and it does not form colloid hence it does not show the Tyndall effect

(B) Vinegar- vinegar mixed with water forms an aqueous solution of vinegar and it does not form colloid and hence it does not show Tyndall effect

(C) Copper sulfate- Copper sulfate mixed with water forms Copper sulfate solution and it does not form colloid hence it does not show the Tyndall effect

Hence, (D) Paint is the component that shows the Tyndall effect when it is mixed with water is: