In the lab, you use a special balloon that is permeable to water but not sucrose to make an "artificial cell." The balloon is filled with a solution of 20% sucrose and 80% water and is immersed in a beaker containing a solution of 40% sucrose and 60% water. Which of the following will occur?
Group of answer choices
Sucrose will enter the balloon.
Water will leave the balloon.
Water will enter the balloon.
Sucrose will leave the balloon.
In this scenario, the balloon is permeable to water but not sucrose. The solution inside the balloon has a lower concentration of sucrose (20%) compared to the solution in the beaker (40%).
Since water moves from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration, water will leave the balloon to try to equalize the concentration of sucrose inside and outside the balloon.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
Water will leave the balloon.
To determine what will happen in this scenario, we need to understand the concept of osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of solvent (in this case, water) from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration across a semi-permeable membrane, such as the balloon.
In this case, the solution inside the balloon has a lower concentration of sucrose (20%) compared to the solution in the beaker (40% sucrose). The balloon is permeable to water but not sucrose, so water can pass through the balloon, but sucrose cannot.
Based on the concept of osmosis, water will move from an area of low solute concentration (inside the balloon) to an area of high solute concentration (in the beaker). Therefore, the correct answer is:
Water will leave the balloon.
Sucrose molecules are too large to pass through the permeable membrane of the balloon, so they will not enter or leave the balloon.