Osmosis And Hypertonic Solution

Diffusion is the process in which molecules blend together because of their kinetic energy (Hyperphysics, n.d.). It is a type of transport located in the cell membrane. Diffusion could also be described as the movement of molecules from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration. The molecules do this because all molecules are constantly moving, so in enough time the molecules will spread evenly. According to figure 1, the cell will make the outside solution the same concentration of water as the concentration on the inside. In higher temperatures the faster diffusion will happen because of the increase in kinetic energy. The only way for diffusion will never happen is if the temperature is at absolute zero, where there is no kinetic energy inside the molecules. Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a membrane. For this to happen the membrane must be semi-permeable, which means the membrane chooses which molecules to move through it. For osmosis, no energy is …show more content…
Shown by figures 2 and 3, the solution compared to the cell is hypertonic. Hypertonic solutions can cause a cell to lose all of it’s water and die. Cells in a higher concentration area try to balance the concentration of water by letting water enter the cell. The solution compared to the cell is hypotonic. Hypotonic solutions cause cells to absorb too much water and they die because the cells explode. For a cell to be successful it must be in the perfect concentration of water, this would allow for the cell to take in water and release water without changing the concentration of the cell. Compared to distilled water, all solutions are hypertonic. Osmosis is a comparative way to help a cell survive. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the relationship between sucrose concentration and percent change in mass of a potato.