A spoon of sugar is put at the bottom of a glass of still water.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A spoon of sugar is put at the bottom of a glass of still water. At first only the bottom tastes sweet. A few hours later, all the water tastes sweet. Name the process. Does the water or the sugar need any energy for it?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Diffusion is the net movement of particles from a higher to a lower concentration. It needs no energy, is faster when warmer, and its time grows with the square of the distance.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The process. Diffusion: the sugar particles spread from where there are many to where there are fewer.
Step 2. Energy. None is needed. The particles move by themselves, by chance, and the spreading comes out of that.
Answer: diffusion; no energy is needed.
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