The effect of light scattering in a colloid is referred to as what?

The light scattering phenomenon observed in a colloid is known as the Tyndall effect. This effect occurs when light encounters small particles suspended in a medium, such as a colloid. When a beam of light passes through a colloidal solution, the particles scatter the light, making the light path visible. This is commonly observed in mixtures like fog, where light shines through water droplets, or in a colloidal solution such as milk.

The Tyndall effect is particularly significant because it illustrates the distinction between solutions and colloids, as solutions do not scatter light in the same way due to the smaller size of their solute particles.

Brownian motion, while also relevant in colloidal systems, refers to the random movement of particles in a fluid due to collisions with molecules, rather than the scattering of light. Rayleigh scattering pertains to the scattering of light or other electromagnetic radiation by particles much smaller than the wavelength of light and is typically discussed in the context of atmospheric phenomena and is not specific to colloids. Particle size distribution describes the range of sizes of particles in a sample but does not pertain directly to the scattering of light.

Hence, the term that best captures the effect of light scattering in colloids is the Tyndall effect