A researcher tests four lyophilic protective colloids A, B, C, and D, determining their Gold numbers — Surface Chemistry Chemistry Question
Question
A researcher tests four lyophilic protective colloids A, B, C, and D, determining their Gold numbers to be $0.05$, $0.01$, $0.10$, and $0.005$, respectively. How many times greater is the actual protective power of the strongest protective colloid compared to the strictly weakest one in this group?
💡 Solution & Explanation
The protective power of a lyophilic colloid is strictly inversely proportional to its Gold number. The strongest protective colloid has the smallest Gold number (Colloid D, $0.005$). The weakest protective colloid has the largest Gold number (Colloid C, $0.10$). The ratio of their protective powers is $\frac{1/0.005}{1/0.10} = \frac{0.10}{0.005} = 20$.