In osmosis, does water move from high to low concentration?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the direction of water movement during osmosis, specifically whether it moves from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. The key concept here is the definition of osmosis, which involves the movement of water through a semipermeable membrane.
Answer
In osmosis, water moves from high to low concentration.
In osmosis, water moves from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration.
Answer for screen readers
In osmosis, water moves from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration.
More Information
In osmosis, the selectively permeable membrane allows only the water molecules to pass in order to balance the concentration on both sides.
Tips
A common mistake is confusing the movement of solutes with the movement of water in osmosis. Remember that osmosis specifically refers to the movement of water, not solutes.
Sources
- Osmosis: Passive Transport - LibreTexts - bio.libretexts.org
- Physiology, Osmosis - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Osmosis and Diffusion - Chemistry LibreTexts - chem.libretexts.org
