Essential science – diffusion and osmosis
\nDiffusion
\nThis can be defined as the process whereby liquids or gases of different
\nconcentrations mix up with each other, when they are brought into contact,
\nuntil their concentrations are equal throughout. For example, if you take a
\nglass of clear water and put in a drop of ink, at first you will have an inky
\narea while the rest of the water will still be clear. However, over time, even
\nif you do not stir it up, the whole glass will become inky as the ink molecules
\nmix up with the rest of the water molecules in the glass.
\nThis happens because the water and ink possess some heat energy. In
\na hot object the molecules are vibrating; in fact the hotter the substance
\nthe more vigorously the molecules will be vibrating. This is the difference
\nbetween a hot and a cold substance. In the hot substance the molecules
\nare vibrating more energetically than in the cold. The result of this molecular
\nmovement is that the ink and water molecules vibrate into each other and
\nend up mixing in together until their distribution is equal throughout the
\nparticular medium. The hotter the water the more rapidly the process of
\ndiffusion will take place. Because diffusion requires the molecules to be
\nable to move relative to each other the process can only take place in
\nfluids (gases and liquids are both defined as fluids). This principle of
\nmolecular vibration and heat is referred to as kinetic theory. Kinetic means
\nto do with movement.
\nDiffusion is a physical process which is essential for numerous
\nphysiological processes. For example, the concentration of oxygen in the
\nair sacs of the lungs is higher than in the blood which is pumped to the lungs. Diffusion occurs in an attempt to make the concentration of oxygen
\nequal in the air and in the blood. This results in the movement of oxygen
\nfrom air into the blood. If this process were to suddenly stop we would all
\ndie within a few minutes.
\nThe rate at which diffusion occurs depends on several factors including
\ntemperature, size and concentration of the particular molecules, pressure
\nand the area over which diffusion is free to occur.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Essential science – diffusion and osmosis Diffusion This can be defined as the process whereby liquids or gases of different concentrations mix up with each other, when they are brought into contact, until their concentrations are equal throughout. For example, if you take a glass of clear water and put in a drop of ink, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":7464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[1470,61,1429,1430,1469],"class_list":["post-7463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gaming","tag-diffusion","tag-education","tag-nurse","tag-nursing","tag-osmosis","post_format-post-format-video"],"yoast_head":"\n