Osmotic Pressure (Noun)
Meaning
(physical chemistry) the pressure exerted by a solution necessary to prevent osmosis into that solution when it is separated from the pure solvent by a semipermeable membrane.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural phenomena.
Examples
- The osmotic pressure of a solution depends on the concentration of the solute particles and the temperature of the solution.
- In a hypertonic solution, the osmotic pressure is greater than that of the cell, causing water to flow out of the cell through the semipermeable membrane.
- The osmotic pressure of a solution can be measured using a device called an osmometer, which consists of a semipermeable membrane separating the solution from the pure solvent.
- A solution that has the same osmotic pressure as the cell is called isotonic, meaning that it does not cause a change in the cell's volume due to osmosis.
- The osmotic pressure of a solution can be calculated using the van 't Hoff equation, which relates the osmotic pressure to the concentration and temperature of the solution.