Diffusion and Osmosis

• What is diffusion important for in living organisms?

  It's how substances get in and out of cells.
• What is the fancy way of saying diffusion?

  Spreading out of particles from high to low concentration.
• What is the definition of diffusion?

  Movement of particles from high to low concentration.
• In which states of matter does diffusion occur?

  In solutions and gases.
• What happens when perfume particles diffuse in a room?

  They spread out through the air.
• How does concentration gradient affect diffusion rate?

  A larger gradient increases the diffusion rate.
• How does temperature affect diffusion rate?

  A higher temperature increases the diffusion rate.
• What is the function of cell membranes?

  They hold the cell together and regulate entry/exit.
• What types of molecules can diffuse through cell membranes?

  Very small molecules like glucose and water.
• What is the net movement of particles through a membrane?

  From higher concentration to lower concentration.
• How does surface area affect diffusion rate?

  A larger surface area increases the diffusion rate.
• What happens when a drop of ink is added to cold water?

  The ink will gradually spread out in the water.
• How does osmosis relate to diffusion?

  Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules.
• What is the definition of osmosis?

  Movement of water across a partially permeable membrane.
• What is a partially permeable membrane?

  A membrane with very small holes for tiny molecules.
• What happens to water molecules during osmosis?

  They move to balance concentration on both sides.
• What is the effect of a concentrated sugar solution on water movement?

  Water moves into the sugar solution, diluting it.
• Why is drinking seawater harmful?

  It causes cells to lose water and shrivel.
• What is the dependent variable in the osmosis experiment with potato chips?

  The chip mass.
• What must be kept constant in the osmosis experiment?

  Volume of solution, temperature, and time.
• How can errors affect the osmosis experiment?

  Errors can arise from unmeasured variables like evaporation.
• How can the effect of errors be minimized in experiments?

  By repeating the experiment and calculating means.
• What happens to a piece of potato in concentrated salt solution?

  The mass decreases as water leaves the potato.