Osmotic pressure: Learn how osmotic pressure

Learn how osmotic pressure is a colligative property of solutions that depends on the concentration of solute particles. See examples, equations, and applications of osmotic pressure in biology and industry. Osmotic pressure is the minimum pressure required to prevent the movement of solvent molecules into a solution through a semipermeable membrane. It is a fundamental concept in Chemistry, Biology, and medicine, important for understanding cell function and solution properties. Osmotic pressure is the pressure required to prevent the flow of solvent through a semipermeable membrane from a dilute solution to a concentrated one. It is a colligative property, meaning it depends solely on the concentration of solute particles in the solution, regardless of their identity. [1-4] Osmotic Pressure Definition Osmotic pressure can be thought of as the pressure that would be required to stop water from diffusing through a barrier by osmosis. In other words, it refers to how hard the water would “push” to get through the barrier in order to diffuse to the other side. Osmotic pressure is determined by solute concentration – water will “try harder” to diffuse into an area with a high concentration of a solute, such as a salt, than into an area with a low ...