Diffusion and Osmosis Lab

What is diffusion?

The passive movement of molecules from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

What factors affect diffusion rates?

Temperature and the size of the molecule.

What is passive diffusion?

A process that requires no energy, where movement is always from high concentration to low concentration.

What is osmosis?

The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane.

What is a selectively permeable membrane?

A membrane that is permeable only to certain substances, such as water.

Define hypotonic solution.

A solution with a lower concentration of osmotically active substances compared to another solution.

Define hypertonic solution.

A solution with a higher concentration of osmotically active substances compared to another solution.

Define isotonic solution.

A solution where the concentration of solutes is equal to that of another solution, resulting in no net movement of water.

What happens to an animal cell in a hypotonic solution?

The cell may lyse (burst) due to excess water intake.

What happens to a plant cell in a hypertonic solution?

The cell becomes flaccid and may shrivel due to loss of water.

What is molarity?

The number of moles of solute in one liter of solution, expressed as M = mol/liter.

How do you calculate the concentration of a solution?

Divide the number of moles of solute by the volume of the solution in liters.

What is the effect of a 1 M solution of salt?

It indicates a concentration of one mole of salt per liter of solution.

What is the concentration of 3 moles of salt in 6 liters of solution?

0.5 M (3 mol / 6 L).

What is the concentration of 10 moles of salt in 5 liters of solution?

2 M (10 mol / 5 L).

Why is osmosis important to cells?

Osmosis regulates cell turgor pressure and nutrient absorption.