Question

What are the dispersed phase and dispersion medium in milk?

Answer 1

Hint: To solve this problem, you need to know about the topic of colloids and emulsions. Milk is an emulsion in which milk fat is dispersed in water.

Complete step by step answer:
We know what an emulsion is. The mixture of different types of liquids in which one is small sized particles which are distributed throughout each other is called an emulsion. The emulsions are formed may be naturally or by the process of agitation. Emulsions are not stable as such and stability of emulsions can be supplied by some agents forming films at the surface of droplets or those which impart to them a kind of mechanical stability.

Emulsions mainly consist of a dispersion of two liquids which are immiscible with each other. One liquid will act as a dispersed phase and another liquid will act as a dispersion medium. More clearly, we can say that in emulsion both the dispersed phase and dispersion medium are liquids.

Emulsions are of two types, they are oil in water or water in oil. In the case of milk, the dispersion medium is water and the dispersed phase is oil.

Note: You know that emulsions are mainly two types, oil in water and water in oil. Milk is an example for oil in water emulsions. In the water in oil type of emulsions, oil will be the dispersion medium and water will be the dispersed phase. An example for water in oil emulsion is Margarine.