Question

Explain why osmosis can be observed by using pressure senesors such as the exercise using Pasco equipment that yo uwould have done in excercise IV. If you outfitted a U-tube with different pressure sensors on each side and filled each side with different solutions seperated by a semi-permeable membrane, which sensor would experience a decrease in pressure and which would experience an increase? Explain why this would occor. (it's the U shaped aperatusm that consists of two cylnders, seperated by a semi permiable membrane).

Answer 1

The two arms of U tube is separated by a semipermeable membrane with right side arm containing solution having lower concentration of solute than on the left side. Initially the level is the same in both arms of U tube . As osmosis starts , it pushes the solvents from rivht arm to left arm and pushes the solution up even though , the membrane is permeable to solvent until the osmotic pressure in the right arm equal to the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the left arm.

Osmotic occur due to the free energy of the solvent molecules in two region . Pure water or solvent has more free energy compared to that present in a solution . Therefore during osmosis , solvent or water moves through the semipermeable from a region of its high free energy to a region if it's free energy.