____ is when small spheres of oil stick together to form flocs, but the drops remain separated.

____ is when small spheres of oil stick together to form flocs, but the drops remain separated.

• A. Creaming
• B. Flocculation
• C. Coalescence
• D. Breaking

Answer: (B)

Flocculation is when droplets come together to form loose aggregates (flocs) but keep their own oil droplets distinct. The droplets stick to each other, creating clusters, yet they do not merge their oil cores. This is different from coalescence, where droplets fuse to become larger droplets, and from creaming, where droplets separate due to density differences without forming aggregates. So the described scenario—oil droplets sticking into flocs while remaining separate—is characteristic of flocculation.

Flocculation is when droplets come together to form loose aggregates (flocs) but keep their own oil droplets distinct. The droplets stick to each other, creating clusters, yet they do not merge their oil cores. This is different from coalescence, where droplets fuse to become larger droplets, and from creaming, where droplets separate due to density differences without forming aggregates. So the described scenario—oil droplets sticking into flocs while remaining separate—is characteristic of flocculation.