Diffusion and Osmosis Worksheet 2

Chapter 3 The Cell

1. Circle the correct answer.


 * a) When red blood cells are placed in an isotonic solution they:
 * swell / stay the same / shrink.


 * b) Red blood cells are isotonic to:
 * distilled water / 0.2% salt solution / 0.9% salt solution / 2.0% salt solution.


 * c) Red blood cells placed in a 2.0% salts solution would:
 * swell / stay the same / shrink.


 * d) Red blood cells placed in distilled water would:
 * swell / stay the same / shrink.


 * e) When red blood cells are placed in distilled water:
 * the water enters the cells / the water leaves the cells / the water does not move / the salts in the cells leave the cells


 * f) Red blood cells placed in a 0.9% salt solution would:
 * swell / stay the same / shrink.


 * g) Red blood cells placed in distilled water are in a:
 * hypertonic / isotonic / hypotonic solution.


 * h) Red blood cells placed in 0.9% salt solution are in a:
 * hypotonic / isotonic / hypertonic solution.


 * i) Red blood cells placed in a 2.0% salt solution are in a:
 * hypotonic / isotonic / hypertonic solution.


 * j) A dialysis bag (made of an artificial semi-permeable membrane) filled with 0.5% salt solution and placed in a beaker containing 3.0% salt solution will:
 * swell / stay the same / shrink.

2. Three bottles are filled with three different solutions. One with distilled water, one with 0.9% salt solution and the third with 9.0% salt solution. A few dried apricots are placed in the three bottles and left in the solutions for an hour.
 * The apricots in bottle A stay the same.
 * The apricots in bottle B shrink
 * The apricots in bottle C swell.

Now answer the following questions:
 * i) Which bottle contains the most concentrated salt solution? A B C
 * ii) Which bottle contains water? A B C
 * iii) Which bottle contains the isotonic salt solution? A B C
 * iv) Which bottle contains the hypotonic solution? A B C
 * v) Which bottle contains the hypertonic salt solution A B C

3. Now try this one!

A semi - permeable membrane (dialysis) bag, containing 4% salt, 4% glucose and 4% albumin is suspended in distilled water. Assume the bag is permeable to all substances except albumin.



Circle the correct answer in the statements below.

(Note that salt has quite a small molecule, glucose has a moderate sized molecule and albumin is a protein with a very large sized molecule.)


 * a) The salt: moves into the bag / moves out of the bag / does not move
 * b) The water: moves into the bag / moves out of the bag / does not move
 * c) The albumin: moves into the bag / moves out of the bag / does not move
 * d) The glucose : moves into the bag / moves out of the bag / does not move
 * e) The salt moves by: diffusion / osmosis / active transport / it does not move because the molecules are too large.
 * f) The water moves by: diffusion / osmosis / active transport / it does not move because the molecules are too large.
 * g) The albumin moves by: diffusion / osmosis / active transport / it does not move because the molecules are too large.
 * h) The glucose moves by: diffusion / osmosis / active transport / it does not move because the molecules are too large.

Diffusion and Osmosis Worksheet 2 Answers