Which term is defined as a material used to disperse one liquid in another?

Which term is defined as a material used to disperse one liquid in another?

• A. An emulsifier
• B. A sticker
• C. A penetration agent
• D. Detergents

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how to keep two immiscible liquids mixed together. A substance that does this is called an emulsifier. It works by reducing the interfacial tension between the liquids and forming a stabilizing film around the droplets, so tiny droplets of one liquid stay dispersed throughout the other rather than coalescing and separating. For example, when oil is mixed with water, an emulsifier aligns at the interface with its one end attracted to water and the other to oil. This creates a stable emulsion, such as oil droplets dispersed in water or water droplets dispersed in oil. That’s why the correct choice is an emulsifier. A sticker helps things adhere to surfaces, a penetration agent aids entry into plant tissues, and detergents are cleaning agents that lower surface tension and can aid emulsification in some contexts but do not define the specific term for dispersing one liquid in another.

The idea being tested is how to keep two immiscible liquids mixed together. A substance that does this is called an emulsifier. It works by reducing the interfacial tension between the liquids and forming a stabilizing film around the droplets, so tiny droplets of one liquid stay dispersed throughout the other rather than coalescing and separating.

For example, when oil is mixed with water, an emulsifier aligns at the interface with its one end attracted to water and the other to oil. This creates a stable emulsion, such as oil droplets dispersed in water or water droplets dispersed in oil.

That’s why the correct choice is an emulsifier. A sticker helps things adhere to surfaces, a penetration agent aids entry into plant tissues, and detergents are cleaning agents that lower surface tension and can aid emulsification in some contexts but do not define the specific term for dispersing one liquid in another.