Final answer:
No white precipitate of silver chloride (AgCl) will appear due to osmosis if AgNO3 and NaCl solutions are separated by a semi-permeable membrane because osmosis involves the movement of water, not ions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The appearance of a white precipitate in a reaction between AgNO3 and NaCl in an aqueous solution results from the formation of insoluble silver chloride (AgCl), which is the product of a double-replacement reaction between these two compounds. However, if the two solutions are separated by a semi-permeable membrane, the ions are unable to physically meet to form the precipitate; hence, no precipitate will form due to osmosis alone. Osmosis is the movement of water through a semi-permeable membrane, not the movement of ions. The ions would need to be in the same compartment to react and form the precipitate.