In an oil-in-water emulsion, which are the internal and external phases?

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Multiple Choice

In an oil-in-water emulsion, which are the internal and external phases?

Explanation:
In emulsions, one liquid (the dispersed or discontinuous phase) forms droplets within another liquid (the continuous or external phase). For an oil-in-water emulsion, the oil is the droplets that are dispersed, while the surrounding continuous phase is water. Therefore, the internal phase is oil and the external phase is water. If you had water droplets in oil, that would be a water-in-oil emulsion; if both phases were oil, you wouldn’t have two immiscible liquids forming an emulsion.

In emulsions, one liquid (the dispersed or discontinuous phase) forms droplets within another liquid (the continuous or external phase). For an oil-in-water emulsion, the oil is the droplets that are dispersed, while the surrounding continuous phase is water. Therefore, the internal phase is oil and the external phase is water.

If you had water droplets in oil, that would be a water-in-oil emulsion; if both phases were oil, you wouldn’t have two immiscible liquids forming an emulsion.

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