Final answer:
Water flow in osmosis is determined by the concentration gradients of the solutions, moving from lower solute concentration to higher solute concentration until equilibrium is achieved or osmotic pressure is balanced by hydrostatic pressure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Direction of Water Flow in OsmosisThe direction of water flow when a semi-permeable membrane separates a water solution of substance A from a water solution of substance B is determined by the concentration gradients of the solutions. Specifically, water moves from the side with a lower concentration of solutes (higher concentration of water) to the side with a higher concentration of solutes (lower concentration of water), a process known as osmosis. This movement of water occurs until equilibrium is reached or until the pressure caused by the increase in water on one side balances the osmotic pressure driving the flow.
Osmosis is a type of diffusion where water moves across the membrane to equalize its own concentration. This means water will naturally flow towards the side where it is less concentrated, which is the side with higher solute concentration. Factors such as solute concentration, pressure, and gravity can affect the water potential, which in turn influences the direction and extent of water movement until osmotic equilibrium is achieved.Osmosis is the phenomenon that determines the direction of water flow when a semi-permeable membrane separates two solutions of different concentrations. Water moves from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration. In this case, water will flow from the solution with lower concentration to the solution with higher concentration until the concentrations are equalized.