Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Phase Transitions

Phase Transitions

Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...

Phase Diagram

Phase Diagram

The phase of a given substance depends on the pressure and temperature. Thus, plots of pressure versus temperature showing the phase in each region provide considerable insights into the thermal properties of substances. Such plots are known as phase diagrams. For instance, in the phase diagram for water (Figure 1), the solid curve boundaries between the phases indicate phase transitions (i.e., temperatures and pressures at which the phases coexist).

Colloids and Suspensions

Colloids and Suspensions

Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles visible to the naked eye or seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. The suspended particles in a suspension settle out after some time of mixing. The separation of particles from a suspension is...

Phase Transitions

Phase Transitions

A phase transition is the process in which a substance changes from one state of matter to another, like from a solid to a liquid, liquid to gas, or vice versa, at a specific temperature and under given pressure conditions. This change is spontaneous and is affected by alterations in temperature and pressure. These parameters impact the strength of the forces between molecules (intermolecular forces) in the substance.During a phase transition, both the initial and final phases of the substance...

The Colloidal State

The Colloidal State

The formation of a colloidal system is exemplified by an aqueous solution containing Cl− ions is introduced to another containing Ag+ ions, resulting in the precipitation of solid AgCl as extremely tiny crystals. Instead of settling out as a filterable precipitate, these crystals remain suspended in the liquid, showcasing a colloidal system.A colloidal system involves colloidal particles within the approximate range of 1 to 1000 nm in at least one dimension, dispersed in a medium called...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Phase separation in mixed suspensions of bacteria and nonadsorbing polymers.

The Journal of chemical physics·2021

Same author

Orientation dependent Stokes drag in a colloidal liquid crystal.

Soft matter·2020

Same author

Convectively Assembled Monolayers of Colloidal Cubes: Evidence of Optimal Packings.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2019

Same author

Entropic patchiness drives multi-phase coexistence in discotic colloid-depletant mixtures.

Scientific reports·2017

Same author

Liquid crystal phase transitions in suspensions of mineral colloids: new life from old roots.

Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences·2013

Same author

Devitrification of the glassy state in suspensions of charged platelets.

Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal·2011

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures

Published on: May 21, 2014

Insights into phase transition kinetics from colloid science.

V J Anderson¹, H N W Lekkerkerker

¹Van't Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.

|April 27, 2002

Summary

Colloidal systems exhibit complex phase transitions, often deviating from theoretical predictions due to dynamic intricacies. Advanced imaging reveals the hidden pathways governing these ubiquitous natural phenomena.

More Related Videos

Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers

Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers

Published on: September 4, 2015

Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions

Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions

Published on: April 19, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures

Published on: May 21, 2014

Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers

Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers

Published on: September 4, 2015

Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions

Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions

Published on: April 19, 2018

Area of Science:

Colloid and interface science
Soft matter physics
Materials science

Background:

Colloidal systems exhibit diverse phase transitions (gas, liquid, solid, liquid crystalline).
Phase diagram predictions frequently deviate from experimental observations.
Observed discrepancies are often attributed to the complex dynamics of phase transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the underlying mechanisms of colloidal phase transitions.
To understand why predicted phase diagrams are not always realized.
To elucidate the intricate pathways involved in colloidal self-assembly.

Main Methods:

Utilizing advanced imaging techniques for direct observation of colloidal particles.
Monitoring individual particle behavior during phase transitions.
Analyzing dynamic processes at the particle level.

Main Results:

Direct observation revealed complex pathways in colloidal phase transitions.
Insights into why systems become undercooled, supersaturated, or gel-like were gained.
The influence of starting conditions on phase transition outcomes was highlighted.

Conclusions:

Colloid science is advancing our understanding of phase transition dynamics.
New imaging technologies are crucial for uncovering the secrets of colloidal self-assembly.
Bridging the gap between theoretical predictions and experimental realities in colloid systems is ongoing.