Question

Surface tension of lyophilic sols is :

• A. Equal to water
• B. More than water
• C. None of these
• D. Lower than water

Answer 1

The correct option is D Lower than water

Lyophilic sols are those where the substances have a high affinity for the dispersion medium and thus easily form colloidal solutions. As they are highly hydrated, the viscosity decreases, and so they have a lower surface tension than the dispersion medium.
As the lyophilic colloids have a great affinity towards water solvent, which lowers the surface tension, the surface tension of lyophilic sols is lower than that of the surface tension of water.