(a) Briefly explain the concept of a driving force. (b) What is the driving force for steady-state diffusion?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The driving force for steady-state diffusion is the concentration gradient. It is responsible for driving particles to move from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration until the gradient is equalized.

Step by step solution

01

Explain the concept of a driving force

A driving force is the cause or factor that sets a process in motion or maintains it. In general, it is the energy or force responsible for creating a net change in a system or process, motivating things to move from one state to another. It provides a difference (in concentration, pressure, temperature, etc.) that causes a change or maintains a process.
02

Define steady-state diffusion

Steady-state diffusion is the process through which particles move through a medium, driven by a concentration gradient, in a continuous and constant fashion, without any net change in the system. In this process, the flux of particles is constant over time and there is no accumulation or depletion of particles in any region of the system.
03

Identify the driving force for steady-state diffusion

The driving force for steady-state diffusion is the concentration gradient, which is the difference in particle concentration between two points in space. This gradient is responsible for driving particles to move from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration until the gradient is equalized. The flux of particles in steady-state diffusion is proportional to the concentration gradient, following Fick's first law: J = -D * (dC/dx), where J is the flux, D is the diffusion coefficient, and dC/dx is the concentration gradient.

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