Question

Sasha places a semipermeable membrane in a beaker and adds water to the beaker. She then adds sugar to the water on the left side of the beaker. What will happen to the concentration of sugar on both sides of the membrane after 30 minutes

Answer 1

The concentration of sugar on the left side of the beaker would reduce while there will be no sugar on the left hand side.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concentration of sugar on the left hand side of the beaker would reduce and the water level increased while the water level on the right hand side of the beaker would reduce with zero sugar concentration.

Only water molecules are able to move osmotically through a selectively permeable membrane. Water molecules move from the region of low water potential corresponding to the region with no sugar to the region of high water potential corresponding to the region with sugar.

Hence, the concentration of sugar on the left hand side of the beaker becomes diluted as more water moves into it from the right hand side of the beaker through the selectively permeable membrane. Meanwhile. the right hand side remains without sugar but with lower level of water.