Science: Osmosis vs diffusion

Question 1

What is diffusion?

Answer 1

Diffusion is the spontaneous movement of any substance spreading from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

Question 2

What is osmosis?

Answer 2

Osmosis is similar to diffusion, but is the process in which specifically water moves through a membrane. The natural movement of water is from the side of the membrane with high concentration of water to the side with a low concentration of water.

Question 3

What does hypertonic mean?

Answer 3

A lot of solute (sugar, salt, etc), little water.

Question 4

What does hypotonic mean?

Answer 4

A lot of water, little solute (sugar, salt, etc).

Question 5

What does isotonic mean?

Answer 5

The balance of water inside and outside of the cell.

Question 6

Give a scenario where water will move in or out of a cell in different types of solutions.

Answer 6

If you put two eggs with dissolved eggshells in two bowls of water; one that has just water, and one has salt water. The one in the regular water bowl will expand because there is more water on the outside of the egg, so the water balances out by spreading to the inside of the egg. However, the egg in the salt water bowl will become shriveled up though because there is less water outside of the egg than inside, so the water inside of the egg will try to balance out, spreading to the outside of the egg.