OSMOTIC PRESSURES Meaning and
Definition
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Osmotic pressure is a term used in chemistry and biology to describe the pressure required to prevent the net flow of solvent molecules across a semipermeable membrane due to the presence of a solute. It is a colligative property, meaning that it depends solely on the concentration of solute particles in a solution, regardless of their chemical nature.
When a solution is separated from pure solvent by a semipermeable membrane, such as a cell membrane, water molecules tend to move from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration. This process is known as osmosis. Osmotic pressure is a measure of the tendency of water molecules to move in this way and is directly proportional to the concentration of solute particles present in the solution.
Osmotic pressure can be expressed mathematically using the ideal gas law, where π represents osmotic pressure, M is the molarity of the solution, R is the ideal gas constant, and T is the temperature in Kelvin. The formula is π = MRT. This equation allows scientists to calculate the osmotic pressure based on the concentration of solute particles and temperature.
Osmotic pressure plays a crucial role in various biological processes, such as regulating the intake of water and nutrients by cells. It also has practical applications in areas like medicine, where it is used to determine the effectiveness of drugs or to preserve perishable items by maintaining their freshness and quality through osmotic processes.
Common Misspellings for OSMOTIC PRESSURES
- osmotic presure
- ismotic pressures
- ksmotic pressures
- lsmotic pressures
- psmotic pressures
- 0smotic pressures
- 9smotic pressures
- oamotic pressures
- ozmotic pressures
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- odmotic pressures
- oemotic pressures
- owmotic pressures
- osnotic pressures
- oskotic pressures
- osjotic pressures
- osmitic pressures
- osmktic pressures
- osmltic pressures
- osmptic pressures
Etymology of OSMOTIC PRESSURES
The term "osmotic pressure" was coined by the chemist Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff in the late 19th century.osis" itself comes from the Greek word "osmos", which means "to push" or "to thrust". The concept of osmosis was first described by the French physician René Joachim Henri Dutrochet in the early 19th century.
Van 't Hoff extended the idea of osmosis by introducing the concept of osmotic pressure. He used the word "pressure" to indicate the force exerted by the movement of solvent molecules through a semipermeable membrane towards a region of higher solute concentration. This pressure was found to be proportional to the concentration of the solute.
Since then, the term "osmotic pressure" has been widely used in the field of chemistry to describe this phenomenon.
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