Is jello, hair gel, honey, toothpaste, and pudding solid or liquid? Now that got you thinking hard, didn’t it?
All things exist in different physical states, with the basic ones being; liquid, solid or, gaseous states. Some substances or mixtures have definite shapes while others are free-flowing either taking the shape of their containers or not. And without thinking too much, we tend to classify different materials that we come across as we go about our day-to-day activities, as liquid, solid, or gas. However, we often come across materials that are not so easy to classify under any of the three basic states of matter.
This confusion arises on several occasions; for instance, we brush our teeth with toothpaste, apply hair gel, or eat jello or pudding, but we really cannot say what kind of substances they are. This brings us to the question- is jello, hair gel, honey, toothpaste, and pudding solid or liquid?
Is Jello a Solid or Liquid?
Jello is neither a solid nor a liquid. It is somewhere in-between the solid and liquid states. It is a non-Newtonian fluid having a semi-solid matrix composed of colloidal gel (a form of bonded protein) that entraps water in segmented sections.
What Type of Solution Is Jello?
Jello is not a solution. It is also not a mixture. It belongs to a class of systems known as colloidal dispersions. Colloidal dispersions have the properties of both mixtures and solutions. They also have particles that do not truly go into solution because they are large but also too small to precipitate on their own.
Is Pudding A Solid or Liquid?
Pudding is neither a solid nor liquid, it exists in a colloid state. Although pudding has no definitive shape (it takes the shape of its container) and it will not diffuse out of an open container, it cannot be classified as a liquid because it consists of two phases dispersed in one another.
Essentially, two phases make up a pudding. The first is the solid phase which consists of the dry mix made up of starch, sugar, flavorings, colorings, and probably some preservatives; and then the liquid phase, usually water or milk. When these two phases are combined to make a pudding, they are not completely miscible so they form a colloid. Miscibility is the ability for two substances to coexist as one medium, while colloids are when one phase is dispersed within another phase.
The main two ingredients that determine the overall state of matter of pudding are starch and water. Starches have variable molecular weights, consist of chains of sugars, and tend to form amorphous solids. Amorphous solids are solids without a definite crystal structure that have little liquid-like properties. Once the water is dispersed within the amorphous solid of the starch, the liquid-like properties will increase. This type of colloid is known as a hydrocolloid because it specifically uses water.
Is Chocolate Pudding Liquid or Solid?
Chocolate pudding is neither a solid nor a liquid; it exists in a colloid state.
What Substance Is Pudding?
Pudding is not a substance, rather it is a mixture of more than two substances. A pudding can either be a homogeneous or heterogeneous mixture. A pudding is a homogeneous mixture if it is uniform throughout, that is, all the substances (ingredients) used in the mixture are completely blended into one another usually in the same phase. On the other hand, if the individual substances can be identified or separated from one another, it is a heterogeneous mixture.
Read also: Is Melted Plastic in Oven Dangerous?
Is Toothpaste A Solid, Gas, or Liquid?
Toothpaste is neither a solid, gas nor liquid. It is a time-dependent fluid- an ideal Bingham plastic fluid because it requires finite yield stress before it begins to flow. You will have to apply finite shear stress by squeezing your toothpaste tube before it flows.
Is Hair Gel A Solid or Liquid?
Hair gel is neither a solid nor a liquid. It is in a state between solids and liquids where we have dispersions of solid in liquid or liquid in liquid. It is the same state of matter as pudding which is hydrocolloid- a liquid dispersed within a solid.
Read also: How to Thicken Gravy in A Crockpot
Is Honey A Solid or Liquid?
Honey is a very viscous liquid in its natural form. It is an example of both a super-saturated and a super-cooled liquid. However, most pure honey will later become solid or semi-solid with time as the sugar begins to crystallize. This is known as crystallized honey.
I am sure that, by now if anyone asks you, “is jello, hair gel, honey, toothpaste, and pudding solid or liquid?”, you will not only be able to give the correct answer, you will also be able to give explanations as to why it is so.
