Surface charge

![A simplified overlay of multiple layers of ions, and electric potential with increasing Debye length. The first layer of absorbed ions is referred to as the inner Helmholtz plane. Next is a layer of non-specifically absorbed, hydrated counterions which represent an outer Helmholtz plane.[1]](/uploads/202502/14/Stern_Layer1632.png)

Surface charge is the electrical potential difference between the inner and outer surface of the dispersed phase in a colloid. There are many different processes which can lead to a surface being charged, including adsorption of ions, protonation/deprotonation, and the application of an external electric field. Surface charge causes a particle to emit an electric field, which causes particle repulsion and attraction, affecting many colloidal properties.