A material that settles out of a reaction is termed a

• A. Colloid
• B. Precipitate
• C. Sediment
• D. Suspension

Answer: (A)

When two solutions react to form an insoluble product, the solid that appears and settles out of the liquid is called a precipitate. This happens because the new compound has low solubility and exits the solution as a solid crystals or particles that gravity pulls to the bottom. Colloids stay dispersed as tiny particles that don’t readily settle; suspensions contain larger particles that may settle over time but aren’t defined by a reaction producing a solid; sediment refers to the settled material after a mixture has stood, not the product formed directly by a reaction. So the solid formed and removed from the solution during a reaction is a precipitate.