Final answer:
The rate of diffusion for oxygen through a membrane is directly proportional to the surface area. Doubling the membrane surface area from 10 cm2 to 20 cm2 would double the diffusion rate from 0.8 pg/s to 1.6 pg/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rate of diffusion of oxygen molecules through a membrane is dependent on several factors, such as surface area. In this case, if the surface area of the membrane is doubled from initially being 10 cm2, the rate of diffusion which is initially 0.8 pg/s will also double. This is because the rate of diffusion is directly proportional to the surface area through which the diffusion is occurring, assuming all other factors remain constant.
According to the rate of diffusion equation, if we double the surface area, the rate of diffusion is also expected to double. Therefore, if the original rate of diffusion is 0.8 pg/s for a 10 cm2 surface area, doubling the surface area to 20 cm2 would increase the rate of diffusion to 1.6 pg/s.