Emulsifiers

Emulsifiers

When you mix a watery liquid and an oily fat together then shake you will end up with an emulsion. Emulsions have many uses - especially in food. Uses of emulsions Thicker than oil/water The more oil used the thicker.  Salad dressings and sauces giev dishes a shiny, glossier look. Non food uses of emulsions Body cream Moisturising lotion Paints  Face cream

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Caption: : An example of an emulsifier.

Uses of emulsion

How do emulsifiers work?

Molecules - 2 or more atoms.  Emulsions need emulsifiers Can be added to stop separating,  Emulsifiers reduce surface tension between two immicible phases. This is down to their molecular structure. BBC BITESIZE DEFINITIONImmiscible liquids do not mix together. For example, if you add oil to water, the oil floats on the surface of the water. And if you shake the two together then leave them to stand, tiny droplets of oil float upwards. They join together until eventually the oil is floating on the water again. To stop the two liquids separating, we need a substance called an emulsifier.

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How do emulsifiers work?

 Mixtures of oil and water will separate.  Oil droplets joining together causes separation Emulsifiers can be added to emulsions to stop them separating out.  Emulsifier molecules have a head that is attracted to water and a tail that's attracted to oil.  The emulsifier molecules join into the oil and stop the oil from  joining together.