What is the effect of adding an electrolyte to a colloidal solution?
It increases the stability of the colloid.
It decreases the stability of the colloid.
It has no effect on the stability of the colloid.
It can either increase or decrease the stability, depending on the specific colloid.
When an electrolyte is added to a colloidal solution, it can cause the coagulation or flocculation of the colloidal particles. This happens due to the formation of ions in the solution, which can neutralize the charges on the surface of the colloidal particles. As a result, the particles lose their stability and tend to aggregate, leading to coagulation or flocculation.When an electrolyte is added to a colloidal solution, the ions in the solution can interact with the charged particles, which reduces the magnitude of the electric field in the surrounding solution, thereby decreasing the Zeta potential. This process is called screening or shielding. As the screening effect increases, the electrostatic repulsion between the particles decreases, leading to an increase in the probability of particle-particle collisions and aggregation. Consequently, the stability of the colloid may decrease.