What is a dispersion?

A dispersion is a system in which one or more substances, the dispersed phase, are distributed in another substance, the continuous phase. In a dispersion, the dispersed and continuous phases can coexist in the same state. Dispersions are categorized into solutions, colloids, and suspensions based on the size of the dispersed particles. In a solution, dispersed substances exist as molecules; While the size of dispersed substances normally ranges from 1nm to 1μm in a colloid. In a suspension, the millimeter-level suspended matter can be observed by the naked eye. The following figure lists some examples based on the types of continuous and dispersed phases.