Define the terms 'osmosis' and 'osmotic pressure'. What is the advantage of using osmotic pressure as compared to other colligative properties for the determination of molar masses of solutes in solutions?
Solution
Osmosis: the spontaneous flow of solvent molecules through a semipermeable membrane from the pure solvent (or a dilute solution) into a more concentrated solution.
Osmotic pressure: the minimum excess pressure applied on the solution that just stops this flow.
Advantage: even very dilute solutions (as of proteins and polymers) have measurable osmotic pressures, while their and are too small to measure; also the measurement is made at room temperature, so heat-sensitive solutes are unaffected.
Osmotic pressure: the minimum excess pressure applied on the solution that just stops this flow.
Advantage: even very dilute solutions (as of proteins and polymers) have measurable osmotic pressures, while their and are too small to measure; also the measurement is made at room temperature, so heat-sensitive solutes are unaffected.
CBSE Class 12 Board · 2010 · All India · Subjective