Could you give a reference for that?larsa said:I have read that osmosis " works like a machine ". It lifts weight ( this is obvious ) on the expense of thermal energy.
I don't see how this can be correct. Osmosis is based on a difference of chemical potential, not temperature. I wouldn't know how to qualify the kind of energy it consumes, but it is not thermal, nor chemical (in the usual sense of that word).larsa said:Does anyone has any thoughts about how it consumes thermal energy?
DrClaude said:Could you give a reference for that?I don't see how this can be correct. Osmosis is based on a difference of chemical potential, not temperature. I wouldn't know how to qualify the kind of energy it consumes, but it is not thermal, nor chemical (in the usual sense of that word).
When you have time, could you explain what you mean?Kevin McHugh said:Osmosis is a pressure gradient, caused by chemical potential. Think potassium and sodium.
I don't know what you mean by "consumes thermal energy."larsa said:I have read that osmosis " works like a machine ". It lifts weight ( this is obvious ) on the expense of thermal energy.
Does anyone has any thoughts about how it consumes thermal energy?
Thank you in advance.
Thank you for your answer and especially for the link256bits said:I don't know what you mean by "consumes thermal energy."
But anyways, yes osmosis can be considered as being a phenomenom of thermodynamics.
If you take the ideal gas equation, PV=nRT, and arrange it just a bit, you get,
P=(n/V)RT
Replace P with π, and n/V and you get the osomotic pressure equation
π = cRT, where c is the concentration of the solute in moles per liter.
You can read some discussion here,
http://urila.tripod.com/osmotic.htm
Osmosis is the movement of a solvent (such as water) through a semipermeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration.
A thermal machine is a device that converts heat energy into mechanical work.
Osmosis can be considered a type of thermal machine because it involves the movement of water molecules due to differences in temperature and energy.
Yes, osmosis can be classified as a thermal machine because it involves the transfer of thermal energy to drive the movement of water molecules.
One example is the process of reverse osmosis, where water is forced through a semipermeable membrane using thermal energy to purify it. Another example is the movement of water in plants, where thermal energy from the sun drives osmosis to transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.