keeping osmosis in mind, would it be better to soak wilted flowers in distilled water or normal tap water?
I was thinking tap but I`m not sure why I`m thinking that. Maybe because tap water has a higher solute concentration that than distilled. i`m not sure. could you explain please? thanks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmotic_pressure
So distilled water will give the biggest difference in pressure between the water and the leaves.
Sure! Osmosis is the process by which water molecules move from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration, across a selectively permeable membrane. In the case of wilted flowers, osmosis can help to restore their turgidity and revive them.
Distilled water is pure water, free from any impurities or solutes, while tap water usually contains various dissolved minerals and chemicals. In terms of osmosis, if you were to soak wilted flowers in distilled water or tap water, the direction of water movement would depend on the relative solute concentrations.
The purpose of osmosis in this case is to allow the water to move into the flower cells, thus rehydrating them. To achieve this, it would be better to soak wilted flowers in distilled water.
Here's why:
1. Distilled water has a lower solute concentration compared to tap water since it does not contain any dissolved minerals or chemicals. This creates a concentration gradient that favors the movement of water into the flower cells by osmosis.
2. Tap water, on the other hand, has a higher solute concentration due to the presence of dissolved minerals and chemicals. This higher solute concentration may hinder the movement of water into the flower cells, making it less effective for rehydration.
Soaking wilted flowers in distilled water creates a favorable osmotic environment for the cells to take in water and regain their turgidity more efficiently.