Final answer:
Osmosis will cause water to move from the 1.0 M NaCl solution to the 2.0 M NaCl solution across the semipermeable membrane to balance the solute concentrations.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a 1.0 M NaCl solution is separated from a 2.0 M NaCl solution by a semipermeable membrane, osmosis will occur. Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semipermeable membrane down its concentration gradient, which means water will move from the area of lower solute concentration to the area of higher solute concentration to equalize the concentrations.
In this scenario, water will move from the 1.0 M NaCl solution into the 2.0 M NaCl solution. This is because the NaCl solute separates into two ions, Na+ and Cl-, which means the osmolarity of the 2.0 M NaCl solution is effectively doubled, making it more concentrated and causing water to flow towards it to balance out the concentration differences across the membrane. The phenomenon of osmosis is essential for maintaining proper fluid balance across cells and tissues.