Question

A beaker is divided by a membrane that is permeable to water and glucose, but not to sucrose. Equal volumes of solutions are added to side A and B with the initial concentrations as shown below. Initially, the liquid levels on both sides are the same.

Side A: 1.0 M sucrose, 0.5 M glucose
Side B: 0.5 M sucrose, 1.0 M glucose
After the system described above reaches equilibrium, what will be the concentration of glucose on side B?

Answer 1

After reaching equilibrium, the concentration of glucose on side B will be higher than 1.0 M.

Step-by-step explanation:

When two solutions of different concentrations are separated by a semipermeable membrane, osmosis occurs. In this case, the membrane allows water and glucose to pass through, but not sucrose. The initial concentrations on both sides of the membrane are 1.0 M sucrose and 0.5 M glucose on side A, and 0.5 M sucrose and 1.0 M glucose on side B.

The movement of water molecules will occur from the side of higher water concentration to the side of lower water concentration until equilibrium is reached. Since the glucose concentration is higher on side B, water will move from side A to side B, increasing the glucose concentration on side B.

Therefore, after reaching equilibrium, the concentration of glucose on side B will be higher than 1.0 M.