Here's a breakdown:

* Mixture: A combination of two or more substances where each substance retains its own chemical identity.

* Dispersed substance: The substance that is broken down into smaller particles and distributed throughout the mixture.

* Dispersing medium: The substance that surrounds and carries the dispersed substance.

Examples:

* Saltwater: Salt (dispersed substance) is dissolved in water (dispersing medium).

* Milk: Fat globules (dispersed substance) are dispersed in water (dispersing medium).

* Fog: Tiny water droplets (dispersed substance) are suspended in air (dispersing medium).

Types of Dispersed Substances:

The size of the dispersed particles determines the type of mixture:

* Solutions: Dispersed particles are individual molecules or ions, too small to be seen even with a microscope.

* Colloids: Dispersed particles are larger than molecules but still too small to settle out easily. They scatter light.

* Suspensions: Dispersed particles are large enough to be seen and will settle out over time.

Key Points:

* The dispersed substance is the part of the mixture that is being distributed.

* The dispersing medium is the part of the mixture that does the distributing.

* The type of mixture depends on the size of the dispersed particles.

Understanding dispersed substances is important in fields like chemistry, food science, and materials science.