Osmosis Practice Problems
Osmosis Practice Problems
1. When two solutions separated by a selectively permeable membrane are equal (isotonic) the water will...
A. continue to flow in the direction it had been going.
B. stop flowing altogether.
C. flow in both directions equally so that there is no net change.
D. reverse directions.
E. freeze.
2. A dialysis bag is filled with a 3% starch solution. Dialysis bags are impermeable to starch.
The bag is immersed in a beaker of pure water. In which direction will the water move?
What will happen to the size of the bag?
3. Two beakers (below) are connected by a tube partioned by a membrane permeable to water but not to
protein. Which one of the following statements best describes what will happened to this system?
4. A student decides to conduct an experiment and places a leech into a pickle jar. The pickling solution is
very salty compared to the solution inside leech cells, and the leech cell membranes are permeable to
water. What will happen to the leech?
A. Water will move into the leech by osmosis, and the leech will shrink.
B. Water will move out of the leech by osmosis, and the leech will shrink.
C. Water will move into the leech by osmosis , and the leech will swell.
D. Water will move out of the leech by osmosis, and the leech will swell.
E. Water will move in and out of the leech at the same rate, and the leech will stay the same size,
although it now smells like a pickle.
5. Suppose the concentration of salt in human blood is 2.5%. If a lab technician placed this blood on a slide
and then added several drops of water and if the blood cells were to shrivel up, you would correctly
predict...
A. that the water had more than a 2.5% concentration of salt dissolved in it.
B. that the water had less than a 2.5% concentration of salt dissolved in it.
C. that the water had exactly a 2.5% concentration of salt dissolved in it.
6. he U-shaped tube in the figure below is divided by a membrane that is impermeable to starch but
permeable to salt and water. Explain what will happen to the concentration of starch, salt and water on
the left side of the U-tube over time.
7.
8. Which one or more of the following describes what would happen to a marine snail’s cells when placed in
fresh water that contains a lower concentration of salts than its cells? Water moves
9. What kind of environment is described when the concentration of dissolved substances (salts) is
greater outside the cell than inside? (More water inside)
A. Hypotonic
B. Hypertonic
C. Isotonic
D. Saline
11. Seawater is approximately 3% salt. Sea water is hypertonic to the tissues of freshwater fish.
Therefore, we can conclude that the tissues of fish contain % salt.
12. In an attempt to replenish the body fluids, a patient accidently receives a large transfusion of
distilled water directly into one of his veins. Describe the probable effects.