Diffusion and Osmosis In this laboratory you will investigate
the processes of diffusion and osmosis in a model membrane
system. You will also investigate the effect of solute
concentration on water potential as it relates to living plant
tissues. Many aspects of the life of a cell depend on the fact
that atoms and molecules have kinetic energy and are constantly
in motion. This kinetic energy causes molecules to bump into
each other and move in new directions. One result of this
molecular motion is the process of diffusion. Diffusion is the
random movement of molecules from an area of higher
concentration of those molecules to an area of lower
concentration. For example, if one were to open a bottle of
hydrogen sulfide (H2S has the odor of rotten eggs) in one corner
of a room, it would not be long before someone in the opposite
corner would perceive the smell of rotten eggs. The bottle
contains a higher concentration of H2S molecules than the room
does and, therefore, the H2S gas diffuses from the area of hi