Q.Write a note on Electrophoresis.
You're viewing a preview — the full solution, concept, methods & PYQ mapping are locked.
Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Electrophoresis is the directed movement of charged colloidal particles under an applied electric field, which reveals the charge carried by the sol and has practical uses such as rubber deposition and smoke precipitation.
Colloidal particles carry an electric charge (positive or negative) adsorbed on their surface, while the dispersion medium carries an equal and opposite charge, keeping the sol as a whole electrically neutral. When a direct-current electric field is applied to a colloidal solution (typically using a U-tube apparatus with the sol placed below a layer of a suitable indifferent electrolyte, with electrodes dipped in each limb), the charged colloidal particles migrate through the medium toward the electrode of opposite polarity. This directed migration of colloidal particles under an electric field is called electrophoresis.
- If the particles are positively charged (e.g. sol), they move towards the cathode (negative electrode); this is sometimes called cataphoresis.
- If the particles are negatively charged (e.g. sol, gold sol), they move towards the anode (positive electrode); this is sometimes called anaphoresis.
The rate and direction of this movement (observed as the movement of the sharp boundary between sol and electrolyte) is used to determine both the sign and, with further analysis, the magnitude of the charge on colloidal particles.
Applications:
- Determining the nature (sign) of the charge on a colloid. …
Unlock everything free for 14 days
- Full step-by-step solutions
- Concept-first explanations
- Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
- PYQ mapping + timed mock tests
Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.