A drop of two dyes, A and B were placed on the surface of gelatin in two test tubes. After 24 hours dye A and B had traveled 2.7 and 1.8 cm below the surface of the gel in their respective tubes. Calculate the diffusion rates. Why dye has a larger molecular weight and why?

To get the diffusion rate, would you just take 2.7-1.8 and divide it by 24 hours? What dye would have a larger molecular weight and why? Thanks

To calculate the diffusion rates, you need to divide the distance each dye has traveled by the time it took for the travel to occur. So, for dye A, the diffusion rate would be (2.7 cm)/(24 hours) = 0.1125 cm/hour. For dye B, the diffusion rate would be (1.8 cm)/(24 hours) = 0.075 cm/hour.

To determine which dye has a larger molecular weight, we need to understand how molecular weight affects diffusion. Generally, larger molecules have slower rates of diffusion compared to smaller molecules. This is because larger molecules have more mass and therefore move more slowly. They also face more resistance from the surrounding medium (in this case, gelatin) due to their larger size.

Based on this principle, we can conclude that dye A, which traveled a greater distance, likely has a smaller molecular weight compared to dye B. The smaller molecular weight allowed dye A to diffuse more readily and cover more distance in the same time period.

In summary, to calculate the diffusion rate, divide the distance traveled by the time taken. Dye A likely has a smaller molecular weight compared to dye B, which allowed it to diffuse further in the given time.