Biomedical Engineering: Bridging Medicine and Technology 1st Edition by Veronique Tran,Mark Saltzman

Exercise 12

A U-tube apparatus (as in Box 2.6) is separated by a membrane permeable to water, but not to sodium chloride (NaCl). NaCl (8 g) is dissolved in 0.5 L of water and placed on one side of a semipermeable membrane with pure water on the other side of the membrane. Draw a diagram of the beaker. Which direction will the water flow? If the temperature of the water is constant at 25◦C, what is the osmotic pressure? If compartment A and B begin with equal volumes, what will be the difference in the height of the fluid columns at equilibrium?