Question

Difference between osmosis and diffusion . [2 MARKS]

Answer 1

Diffusion is the movement of particles (atoms, ions or molecules) from a region in which they are in higher concentration to regions of lower concentration. A good example of diffusion is food colouring. If you place a drop of red food colouring in a beaker of water eventually the entire beaker of water will have a red tint.

Osmosis is a special example of diffusion. It is the diffusion of a substance through a semipermeable membrane from a more dilute solution to a more concentrated solution. This process is also passive since no external energy is needed.

A semipermeable membrane is a barrier that permits the passage of some substances but not others.