Question

Classify the following into osmosis/diffusion

(a) Swelling up of a raisin on keeping in water.

(b) Spreading of the virus through sneezing.

(c) Earthworm dying on coming in contact with common salt.

(d) Shrinking of grapes kept in thick sugar syrup.

(e) Preserve pickles in salt.

(f) Spreading of the smell of cake being baked throughout the house.

(g) Aquatic animals using oxygen dissolved in water during respiration

Answer 1

Diffusion

1. Diffusion is the overall net movement of anything from a higher concentration to a lower concentration.
2. A gradient in the Gibbs free energy or chemical potential drives diffusion.

Osmosis

Osmosis is the naturally occurring net movement or diffusion of solvent molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high water potential to a region of low water potential in a manner that tends to balance the solute concentrations on the two sides.

Following into osmosis/diffusion

(a) Swelling up of a raisin on keeping in water.

1. Osmosis is the process by which a raisin swells when kept in water.
2. More solutes are present in raisins than in ambient water.
3. As a result, the raisin swells as water travels about inside it.
   

(b) Spreading of the virus through sneezing.

1. The virus spreads through diffusion when someone sneezes.
2. Sneezing releases tiny droplets of the virus into the atmosphere.
3. They float around in the air for a long time due to diffusion, remaining suspended in the air.

(c) Earthworm dying on coming in contact with common salt.

1. Osmosis is the process through which an earthworm perishes when it comes in contact with table salt.
2. Because their skin dries up as a result of water loss, earthworms perish when they come into contact with common salt.
   

(d) Shrinking of grapes kept in thick sugar syrup.

1. Osmosis is the process by which grapes kept in thick sugar syrup shrink.
2. This is due to the fact that water will shift its concentration from one concentration to another.
3. Grapes begin to shrink as a result of this.

(e) Preserve pickles in salt.

1. Osmosis is the process used to preserve pickles in salt.
2. Salt assists in the removal of water from cells and aids in the preservation of pickles.

(f) Spreading of the smell of cake being baked throughout the house.

1. Diffusion is the process by which the aroma of baking cake permeates the entire house.
2. The smell was created by the cake particles diffusing through the air.

(g) Aquatic animals using oxygen dissolved in water during respiration

1. Diffusion is the method through which aquatic creatures use oxygen that has been dissolved in water during respiration.
2. Diffusion is how aquatic creatures use the oxygen dissolved in the water.
3. Temperature, the amount of salt in the water, and pressure all affect how much dissolved oxygen is present.