The main difference between a colloid and a suspension mixture is the size of the solute particles. Colloids have solute particles that are around 10-1000 angstroms big. They are considered to be intermediate in size because they are bigger than solutes in homogeneous mixtures, but are smaller than suspension mixtures. Colloids tend to form cloudy, yet uniform solutions. The cloudiness of the mixture is caused by the solute particles suspended or floating in the solvent.
Suspension mixtures have solute particles that are greater than 10,000 angstroms. The particles are so big that they can no longer be evenly distributed, so they settle at the bottom of the solution. In suspension mixtures, there is a visible line between the different components of the mixture.
