Which term describes the phase that contains the dispersed particles in a dispersed system?

• A. dispersed phase
• B. vehicle
• C. dispersion medium
• D. coarse phase

Answer: (A)

In a dispersed system, there are two distinct parts: the phase that contains the particles being dispersed, and the surrounding fluid that carries them. The phase with the particles is called the dispersed phase. The surrounding fluid—often called the vehicle or dispersion medium—acts as the continuous phase in which those particles are distributed. For example, in an oil-in-water emulsion, the oil droplets are the dispersed phase while water is the dispersion medium. The term coarse phase isn’t a standard descriptor for the phase containing the particles. So, the term that describes the phase with the dispersed particles is the dispersed phase.