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Mayonnaise is classified as an emulsion. An emulsion is a specific type of mixture where two immiscible liquids (such as oil and water) are combined with the help of an emulsifier, which in the case of mayonnaise is typically egg yolk. The emulsifier stabilizes the mixture, allowing the oil and water to blend into a smooth and creamy consistency.

In making mayonnaise, the careful mixing of oil into the egg yolk creates a network that keeps the droplets of oil dispersed throughout the mixture, preventing them from separating. This property of emulsions is crucial in culinary applications, as it helps achieve a stable mixture that behaves uniformly when used in dressings, sauces, and spreads.

Other types of mixtures, such as suspensions and colloids, differ in their particle sizes and how they behave over time. Suspensions contain larger particles that will settle out when left undisturbed, while colloids consist of intermediate-sized particles that remain dispersed but may not have the stability seen in emulsions. Solutions, on the other hand, involve a completely homogeneous mixture at the molecular level, typically with solid solutes dissolved in a liquid solvent. Thus, the characteristic properties of mayonnaise align precisely with those of an emulsion.