Final answer:
In the glucose diffusion experiment, initial conditions include pure water in one arm of a U-tube and a glucose solution in the other.
Step-by-step explanation:
The initial conditions of the glucose diffusion experiment involve setting up a U-tube with the left arm containing pure water and the right arm containing a dilute aqueous solution of glucose.
Osmosis demonstrates the movement of water through a semipermeable membrane, which allows water molecules to pass but not glucose molecules.
The movement of water continues until equilibrium is achieved, meaning the water levels in both arms of the U-tube stop changing. The osmotic pressure is indicated by the difference in heights of the liquid columns in the two arms of the U-tube.
To prevent the net flow of water through the membrane, one can apply a pressure to the right arm equal to the osmotic pressure of the glucose solution.
The osmotic pressure equals the pressure that must be applied to the solution side to halt this net water movement. The experiment generates insights into the passive transport mechanisms of cells and physical properties such as osmotic pressure.
The initial conditions of the glucose diffusion experiment refer to the starting conditions of the experiment, specifically the concentration of glucose inside and outside the cell or dialysis-tubing bag.
In the examples provided, the concentration of glucose was 5% in the dialysis-tubing bag and a dilute aqueous solution in the U-tube experiment. These initial conditions set the stage for the movement of molecules through osmosis or diffusion.
Equilibrium is reached when water levels stabilize, and osmotic pressure is measured by the column height difference.