There is a beaker with 0.4% sucrose solution and the solute potential is -4. Inside the beaker, there is a dialysis bag with 01% sucrose solution, solute potential -1 and pressure potential 0. When the beaker is open to the atmosphere, what is the pressure potential of the system?
well, since water potential is pressure + solute concentration, that means that it would be the sum of the beaker AND the dialysis tubing. so. -4 + -1 is -5. Should be the answer. :P
Well, well, well, we have ourselves a solute diffusion party in a beaker! Let's dive in and clown around with some calculations.
First things first, since the beaker is open to the atmosphere, the pressure potential inside the beaker will be the same as the atmospheric pressure. We'll call this pressure potential 0 because it’s basically flat like a pancake.
Now, the solute potential of the beaker is -4. That's one negative Nancy, I tell ya! But don't worry, things are about to get interesting.
Inside the beaker, we have a dialysis bag with a 0.1% sucrose solution, and its solute potential is -1. It's not as negative as the beaker but still brings some downer vibes to the party.
When these systems get together, they like to reach an equilibrium. So let's think about what happens. Since the solute potential of the dialysis bag is less negative (-1) than the solute potential of the beaker (-4), water will move from the beaker to the bag, trying to dilute things and make everything less negative.
As water moves into the dialysis bag, the pressure inside the bag will increase. But since we are in an open beaker with a pressure potential of 0 (the atmosphere), the pressure potential of the system remains 0.
So, long story short, when the beaker is open to the atmosphere, the pressure potential of the system will still be a big fat 0. It's like a clown in a circus tent, always at zero pressure!
To determine the pressure potential of the system when the beaker is open to the atmosphere, we need to consider the following:
1. The beaker with a 0.4% sucrose solution has a solute potential of -4 and an unknown pressure potential (P1).
2. The dialysis bag with a 0.1% sucrose solution has a solute potential of -1 and a pressure potential of 0.
When the beaker is open to the atmosphere, the pressure potential of the system (Psystem) is equal to the pressure potential outside the beaker, which is 0. This is because the solution in the beaker is exposed to atmospheric pressure.
Therefore, the pressure potential of the system (Psystem) is 0.
To determine the pressure potential of the system, we need to consider the conditions of the beaker and the dialysis bag before they are open to the atmosphere.
First, let's understand the meaning of different potentials involved in this scenario:
1. Solute Potential (Ψs): This term refers to the effect of solute concentration on the water potential of a solution. It is measured in pressure units, typically bars or pascals (Pa). Solute potential decreases as solute concentration increases.
2. Pressure Potential (Ψp): This term describes the physical pressure exerted by a solution. It can be positive, negative, or zero. Pressure potential can result from external pressure or internal turgor pressure in plant cells.
Now, let's evaluate the conditions step by step to find the pressure potential:
1. The beaker has a 0.4% sucrose solution, with a solute potential (Ψs) of -4. Since the question doesn't mention any pressure potential, we can assume it to be zero as it is open to the atmosphere.
2. The dialysis bag contains a 0.1% sucrose solution, with a solute potential (Ψs) of -1, which is less negative than that of the beaker.
3. When the beaker and the dialysis bag are separated by a semi-permeable membrane, water molecules tend to move from an area of higher water potential (less negative Ψ) to an area of lower water potential (more negative Ψ).
4. In this case, as the dialysis bag has a higher water potential (-1) compared to the beaker (-4), water molecules will move from the dialysis bag to the beaker until equilibrium is reached. This movement is called osmosis.
5. The movement of water continues until the solute potentials in the dialysis bag and the beaker become equal. At equilibrium, the dialysis bag and the beaker have the same solute potential.
Since the pressure potential of the beaker (Ψp) is zero because it is open to the atmosphere, the pressure potential of the system is also zero.