Final answer:
Fick's Law of Diffusion states that the rate of net diffusion is influenced by the concentration gradient, diffusion constant (D), and mass of the diffusing molecules, among other factors. This law helps to predict the movement of molecules from areas of high concentration to low concentration until dynamic equilibrium is achieved.
Step-by-step explanation:
Factors Influencing the Rate of Net Diffusion
The law that describes how concentration gradients and other factors influence the rate of net diffusion is Fick's Law of Diffusion. According to this law, the rate of diffusion is directly proportional to the concentration difference between two regions; the greater the difference, the faster the diffusion. Additionally, diffusion is also proportional to the diffusion constant (D), which depends on factors such as temperature, cohesive and adhesive forces. The mass of the diffusing molecules also affects the rate, with larger mass molecules diffusing more slowly due to increased difficulty passing through the diffusion medium.
Various factors revealed by Fick's Law include:
The extent of the concentration gradient: Higher concentration differences speed up the diffusion process.
Mass of the molecules: Heavier molecules tend to diffuse more slowly compared to lighter ones.
Temperature: Higher temperatures can increase the diffusion constant, thus accelerating diffusion.
Cohesive and adhesive forces affect the ease with which molecules move through the medium.
It's important to understand that diffusion continues until dynamic equilibrium is reached, where no net movement of molecules occurs in any specific direction due to uniform concentration.