Question

A bag made from dialyzing membrane is filled with a dilute aqueous solution of sodium chloride. It is immersed in a dilute aqueous solution of potasslum sulfate containing a colloidal dispersion of protein. Describe what happens.

Answer 1

A dialysis membrane is a semi-permeable membrane through which those molecules can pass which are smaller than the pore size of the membrane. Bigger size molecules are retained and not allowed to pass.

Since both sodium chloride and potassium sulfate are salt, they will produce ions and hence these ions can pass through the membrane.

Water molecules will readily pass through the membrane, in the direction from the more less concentrated solution towards the more concentrated solution.

Depending upon the size of the colliodal particles, if they are smaller than the molecular weight cut off value (MWCO) for the membrane, then they can easily pass otherwise not.

Hope this helps !