Question

You walk in the front door of your house. you smell an onion that someone is cutting in the kitchen. explain why you are able to smell it, what this process is called, and what other types of substances exhibit this behavior.

Answer 1

When you smell an onion being cut in the kitchen, it is because of a process called diffusion. The molecules of the onion's odor travel through the air and reach your nose, where they bind to olfactory receptors and send signals to your brain. Other substances that can be detected through smell also exhibit this diffusion behavior.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you walk into your house and smell the onion being cut in the kitchen, you are able to smell it because of a process called diffusion. Diffusion is the net movement of particles from an area of greater concentration to an area of lesser concentration. The particles of the onion's odor travel through the air and reach your nose, where they bind to specialized olfactory receptors in your olfactory epithelium. These receptors send signals to your brain, allowing you to perceive the smell of the onion.

Other substances that exhibit this behavior and can be detected through your sense of smell include various gases, volatile compounds, and particulate matter. For example, the smell of coffee, flowers, or gasoline are all due to molecules in the air that reach your olfactory receptors through diffusion.

Answer 2

plants let out volatile organic compounds as a chemical defense and first aid. this can be found when the plant is being injured; like cutting grass and chopping an onion.