Question

Consider the following geometric solids.

A sphere with a ratio of surface area to volume equal to 0.3 m ¹.
A right circular cylinder with a ratio of surface area to volume equal to
2.1 m¹.
What results would you expect if these two models were compared in a
diffusion test?

A. The rate of diffusion would be the same for the two models.
B. The rate of diffusion would be faster for the sphere.
C. The rate of diffusion would be slower for the right cylinder.
D. The rate of diffusion would be faster for the right cylinder.

Answer 1

The rate of diffusion is influenced by the surface area-to-volume ratio of an object. A higher surface area-to-volume ratio generally leads to faster diffusion because there is more surface area available for particles to interact with the surroundings.

In this case, the sphere has a lower surface area-to-volume ratio (0.3 m¹) compared to the right circular cylinder (2.1 m¹). Therefore, we would expect the rate of diffusion to be slower for the sphere (option C) and faster for the right circular cylinder (option D).

Since the sphere has a smaller surface area relative to its volume, there is less surface area available for particles to diffuse through compared to the right circular cylinder. Consequently, the diffusion process would be slower for the sphere. On the other hand, the right circular cylinder with a larger surface area relative to its volume would provide more opportunities for particles to diffuse, resulting in a faster diffusion rate.


ANSWER: C