Diffusion of Water through a Differentially Permeable Membrane

In this Activity, students investigate the process of osmosis through a differentially-permeable membrane formed by the precipitation of copper(II) hexacyanoferrate(II). This Activity allows students to watch and investigate osmosis, which reinforces the concept of transport in living cells. Instructors could contrast osmosis with diffusion, a principal method of movement of substances within biological cells. A referenced demonstration model of osmosis could be used to visually introduce the Activity.