Definition

A measure of how varied the sizes of particles are in a mixture or solution.

Example

The polydispersity of the sample indicates a wide range of particle sizes.

Conversation

Have you ever heard about the concept of polydispersity in materials science?

Yeah, I think it has to do with the variety in particle sizes, right?

Exactly! It’s a measure of how varied the sizes are in a mixture.

That's interesting! It must really affect how those materials behave.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Polydispersity → It is formed from "poly-" (meaning many) and "dispersus" (from Latin, meaning scattered or spread out) and the suffix "-ity" (meaning the state or condition of). The word "polydispersity" refers to the condition of having many different sizes or distributions within a sample.

Memory Tip

Think of 'many' ('poly-') things that are 'scattered' ('dispersus') to remember that polydispersity means a variety of sizes or distributions.

Visually Confused Words