DI FFUSI O N

1. Diffusion - is the spreading of particles from where they are at a high concentration (there are lots of them in a
certain volume) to where they are at a low concentration (there are fewer of them in a certain volume).

2. Diffusion in liquids –
For example, if a small crystal of a coloured chemical e.g. purple potassium manganate (VII) is placed
in a beaker of water, it can take days for the colour spread throughout all the water uniformly or evenly.

(i) Why does the colour spread throughout the water -

water particles are moving, hit the crystal, making colored particles to leave the crystal – it we say it dissolves,
then the coloured particles mix with the water particles and spread – we say it diffuses

(ii) Why does the colour spreading take days -

Because the particles in liquid move more slowly (than the particles in a gas)
The particles in a liquid are much closer together (than those in a gas) and so there is less space for particles to
move into without colliding with another one.

Complete the sentences describing the movement of the dye molecules in the water over 20 minutes.
Choose your answers from the words in the box.

The dye molecules move by ……………………………………. .

The dye molecules moved from an area where they were in a ………………………

concentration to where they were in a …………………………………. concentration

At twenty minutes the dye molecules were ………………………………. spread.

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3. Diffusion in gases –

Pieces of cotton wool are soaked in concentrated ammonia solution (as a source of ammonia gas)
and concentrated hydrochloric acid (as a source of hydrogen chloride gas).
These are placed in the ends of a long glass tube with rubber bungs to stop the poisonous gases escaping.

●Ammonia particles and hydrogen chloride particles diffuse along the tube.
●A white ring of solid ammonium chloride forms where they meet.
●The white ring of ammonium chloride takes time to form and forms closer to the hydrochloric acid end.
●Ammonia particles are lighter than hydrogen chloride particles and therefore move faster.
●The ammonia particles travel further in the same amount of time, which means that the ring forms further away from
the ammonia end.

1. So the ammonia particles have travelled further than the hydrogen chloride particles – which means they
have travelled faster.The lower the mass of its particles (lighter particles), the faster a gas will diffuse

2. When a gas is heated, its particles gain energy, and so move faster.
So the gas diffuses faster. The higher the temperature, the faster a gas will diffuse

3. It takes time for gas particles to diffuse.

Because gas particles do not move in a straight line, and they collide with air particles and the sides of the
tube and bounce away

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Exercise 2

When ammonia gas and hydrogen chloride gas mix, they react together to form a white solid called
ammonium chloride.

A cotton wool pad was soaked in ammonia solution and another was soaked in hydrogen chloride solution.
The two pads were then put into opposite ends of a dry glass tube at the same time.

After 5 minutes, a white ring of solid ammonium chloride formed.

(i) Write a word equation for the reaction between the two gases. [1]

…………………………….…… + …………………………………. → …………………………………..

(ii) What name is given to this movement of the two gases? [1]

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(iii) Show by calculation that ammonia gas is moving faster than hydrogen chloride gas. [2]

(iv) The experiment was repeated at a higher temperature.

State and explain how this change would affect the time taken for the white ring to form. [3]

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

(v) Gas particles move at a speed of several hundred meters per second at room temperature.

Suggest one reason why it took 5 minutes for the white ring to form. [1]

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….