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When comparing two solutions, the solution with the greater concentration of solutes is called what?

User Zilijonas
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Final answer:

The solution with the highest concentration of solutes is called hypertonic. It has a higher solute concentration, resulting in water moving out of a cell when the cell is placed in it, a process called crenation in animal cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

When comparing two solutions, the solution with the greater concentration of solutes is called hypertonic. This term comes from the Greek words 'hyper', meaning over or above, and 'tonos', meaning tension. A hypertonic solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to another solution, which can affect cellular processes such as the movement of water particles. For instance, if a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, water will move out of the cell, leading to a process known as crenation if the cell is an animal or plasmolysis in plant cells.

In an example involving a cup with water and sugar, if one cup has 100 ml of water with 30 grams of sugar and another has 100 ml of water with 45 grams of sugar, the second cup is hypertonic to the first. The first cup is referred to as hypotonic compared to the second because it has a lower solute concentration. If the concentrations are equal, the solutions are termed isotonic.

A concentrated solution contains a relatively high concentration of solute, while a dilute solution contains a relatively low concentration of solute. The concentration of a solute is often measured in terms of osmolality, which quantifies the moles of solute per kilogram of solvent.

User Bren
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