Colloids are everywhere around us 👀 — in food, medicine, environment, and even in our own body. Here’s a list of common examples of colloids in daily life, grouped for easy learning:
1. Food and Drinks
- Milk – Emulsion of fat in water.
- Butter & Cream – Emulsions (liquid in solid or liquid in liquid).
- Ice Cream & Jelly – Gels (liquid in solid).
- Whipped Cream & Froth on Coffee – Foam (gas in liquid).
- Cheese & Curd – Gel (liquid in solid).
- Mayonnaise & Salad Dressings – Emulsion.
2. Environment / Nature
- Fog, Mist, Clouds – Aerosol (liquid in gas).
- Smoke & Dust in Air – Aerosol (solid in gas).
- Mud & Clay in Water – Sol (solid in liquid).
- Delta formation at river mouths – Coagulation of colloidal clay by seawater salts.
3. Household / Industrial Uses
- Paints, Inks, Dyes – Sols (solid in liquid).
- Soap Lather, Shaving Cream – Foam (gas in liquid).
- Polish, Shoe Cream – Gel.
- Detergents – Colloidal cleaning action.
4. Medicine & Health
- Blood – Sol of proteins and cells in plasma.
- Colloidal Gold, Silver, Iron – Used in medicine.
- Antacids (milk of magnesia) – Sol (Mg(OH)₂ in water).
- Colloidal silver – Antiseptic agent.
In short: Examples of colloids in daily life include milk, butter, cream, fog, smoke, paint, blood, soap lather, cheese, and jelly.