Question

If a 10% sucrose solution is separated from a 20% sucrose solution by a membrane permeable to sucrose, in which direction will net diffusion of sucrose take place?

Answer 1

Net diffusion of sucrose will occur from the 20% sucrose solution to the 10% solution across a sucrose-permeable membrane.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a 10% sucrose solution is separated from a 20% sucrose solution by a membrane permeable to sucrose, the net diffusion of sucrose will take place from the higher concentration to the lower concentration. This means that sucrose will diffuse from the 20% solution (higher concentration) to the 10% solution (lower concentration) until the concentration difference between the two solutions is equalized or reaches equilibrium. This movement of sucrose is analogous to the principle of osmosis, where in reference to solvent transfer, water moves from a hypotonic (lower solute concentration) solution to a hypertonic (higher solute concentration) solution across a semipermeable membrane until isotonic conditions are achieved.