What is diffusion and what causes it?

What is diffusion and what causes it?

• A. The movement of particles from high concentration to low concentration due to random motion, resulting in mixing.
• B. The movement of particles from low concentration to high concentration due to external forces.
• C. The process where particles clump together in a solution.
• D. The rate at which a substance dissolves in water.

Answer: (A)

Diffusion is the spreading of particles as they move by their own random motion. When there are more particles in one area than in another, the natural jiggle of each particle causes them to move into the less crowded region. Over time, this random movement leads to a more even distribution, since there’s a net flow from places of high concentration to places of low concentration. This process is passive—no energy input is required—and it occurs until the concentrations are balanced. Temperature, particle size, and the medium affect how fast diffusion happens. The idea is movement down the concentration gradient, not against it.

Diffusion is the spreading of particles as they move by their own random motion. When there are more particles in one area than in another, the natural jiggle of each particle causes them to move into the less crowded region. Over time, this random movement leads to a more even distribution, since there’s a net flow from places of high concentration to places of low concentration. This process is passive—no energy input is required—and it occurs until the concentrations are balanced. Temperature, particle size, and the medium affect how fast diffusion happens. The idea is movement down the concentration gradient, not against it.