What natural electrical force helps to keep colloidal particles apart during treatment?

What natural electrical force helps to keep colloidal particles apart during treatment?

• A. Electromagnetic force
• B. Hydraulic pressure
• C. Zeta potential
• D. Conductivity

Answer: (C)

The correct answer is zeta potential, which refers to the electrical potential that exists at the boundary layer surrounding a colloidal particle in suspension. This potential plays a crucial role in colloidal stability because it reflects the degree of repulsion between adjacent, similarly charged particles in the colloid. When colloidal particles are suspended in a liquid, they acquire surface charges that lead to the development of an electrical double layer. The zeta potential quantifies the intensity of these electrical charges and thus helps in maintaining separation by creating a repulsive force that counteracts the attractive forces between particles. A higher zeta potential value indicates stronger repulsion and better stability of colloidal systems, preventing flocculation or agglomeration of particles. This mechanism is essential in water treatment processes, as it ensures that undesirable particles remain dispersed during treatment, allowing for effective removal or filtration later on. Other options, while they might relate to water treatment processes in different contexts, do not specifically address the electrical repulsion that keeps colloidal particles apart. For instance, electromagnetic force pertains to broader interactions of charged entities, hydraulic pressure relates to fluid movement and flow dynamics, and conductivity measures ionic content rather than directly influencing colloidal stability.

The correct answer is zeta potential, which refers to the electrical potential that exists at the boundary layer surrounding a colloidal particle in suspension. This potential plays a crucial role in colloidal stability because it reflects the degree of repulsion between adjacent, similarly charged particles in the colloid. When colloidal particles are suspended in a liquid, they acquire surface charges that lead to the development of an electrical double layer. The zeta potential quantifies the intensity of these electrical charges and thus helps in maintaining separation by creating a repulsive force that counteracts the attractive forces between particles.

A higher zeta potential value indicates stronger repulsion and better stability of colloidal systems, preventing flocculation or agglomeration of particles. This mechanism is essential in water treatment processes, as it ensures that undesirable particles remain dispersed during treatment, allowing for effective removal or filtration later on.

Other options, while they might relate to water treatment processes in different contexts, do not specifically address the electrical repulsion that keeps colloidal particles apart. For instance, electromagnetic force pertains to broader interactions of charged entities, hydraulic pressure relates to fluid movement and flow dynamics, and conductivity measures ionic content rather than directly influencing colloidal stability.