Discussion:

Diffusion is the net movement of a substance from an area of high concentration to an area of low
concentration due to the random motion of it's molecules or ions. This random movement of molecules
or ions can occur across a differentially permeable (Semi-permeable) membrane, depending on the size
of the molecules or ions. In this expermient, the water soaked dialysis tubing acted as a differentially
permeable membrane, through which diffusion of various substances can occur.

In beaker A, the solution in the tubing turned from colourless to pink and the solution outside remained
colourless. This reaction proves the teory of diffusion. Phenolphthalein indicator turns pink in the
presence of a base, due to the presence of OH- ions within that base. Hence, the pink solution present in
the dialysis tubing, showed that NaOH molecules diffused through the tubing and reacted with the
phenolphthalein indicator present inside the tubing. However, the phenolphthalein molecules are too
big to pass through the dialysis tubing so it remained in the tubing although there was a concentration
gradient. Since the sodium hydroxide solution outside did not contain any indicator and the
phenolphthalein molecules are too big to diffuse across the dialysis tubing the solution remained
colouless.

In beaker B, the solution in the tubing turned from a opaque colourless solution to a blue-black and the
solution outside remained yellow-brown. Therefore, this reaction also proved the theory of difussion.
When iodine reacts with starch the iodine molecules fits into the helix of amylose, which is a component
of starch. As a result a polyiodide complex is formed, which is a blue-black colour. The blue-black colour
present in the dialysis tubing showed that iodine molecules diffused through the dialysis tubing and
reacted with the starch suspension inside the tubing. However, the starch molecules present in the
solution are too large to diffuse out of the tubing and into the solution present in the beaker. As a result,
the solution outside the tubing remained yellow-brown despite the presence of a concentration
gradient.

Conclusion: In beaker A, the sodium hydroxide molecules outside the tubing diffused into the tubing and
reacted with phenolphthalein present within the tubing; in beaker B, the iodine molecules outside the
tubing diffused into the tubing and reacted with the starch suspension present in the tubing.