Brownian Motion and Diffusion

Cards (5)

  • Brownian motion is the random movement of particles in a liquid or a gas caused due to collision with smaller, invisible particles
  • Evidence for Brownian Motion:
    • In liquid- Pollen grains in water
    • In gases- Smoke in air
  • Diffusion is is the spreading of one substance (liquid or gas)  through another from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration due to the continuous random motion of particles.
  • Evidence for diffusion:
    • In liquids: potassium manganate (VII) in a beaker of water
    • In gases: a gas jar of air and a gas jar of bromine connected
  • Factors that affect the rate of diffusion:
    • Temperature increases → rate of diffusion increases
    • Lower relative molecular mass→ rate of diffusion is higher