Osmosis and Diffusion

September 3, 2013:

This class was all about Osmosis and Diffusion. We spent most of the class discussing this topic, and ended with a lab to test our these properties.

So what exactly are Osmosis and Diffusion?

Diffusion:

Particles have the general desire to more from a higher concentration to a lower concentration. Diffusion is this movement, which can occur in any state, from a higher concentration regions to lower concentration regions.

For Example:
An Air Freshener being sprayed into the air, and then diffusing itself and spreading evenly in the air.

Osmosis:

Osmosis is a type of diffusion. It is specific to water and it's movement through a semi-permeable membrane. A semi-permeable membrane is a tissue that allows some substances to pass through, based on polarity and size. Osmosis is this movement from a higher concentration region, through the semi-permeable membrane, and to a lower concentration region.

For Example:
Osmosis is partially responsible for the absorption of soil water into plants, and also the rising of water through plants and to leaves.


Next, We put these two huge concepts into use. We had a five part lab to test osmosis and diffusion, but I will talk more about that in my next post.