A Study on the Effect of Molecular Weights of Pure

Substances on its Rate of Diffusion1

Ma. Jaira C. Gaviola

Biology 1 - Group 2
Section E-2L

October 06, 2015

_____________________
1

A scientific paper submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements in General Biology I

laboratory under Professor Marilyn Brown at University of the Philippines Los Baos, 1 st
Semester, A.Y 2015-2016.

ABSTRACT
The effect of molecular weight to the rate of diffusion two experiments
had been observed from the two experiments. In the first part, two cottons
were soaked using a glass tube set-up in two different substances (HCl and
NH4OH, respectively) and were plugged on each end of the glass tube. In
the second part, a petri dish of agar-water gel with three well was
prepared. It was showed from the result that the glass tube set up of
NH4OH has lower molecular weight than HCl and travelled faster and
covered a longer distance than HCl. Thus, it follows the hypothesis which
states that the lower the molecular weight that faster the diffusion. On the
second experiment, one drop of each substance (KMnO4, K2Cr2O7,
C16H18N3SCl) were simultaneously dropped into each well using a dropper
and the petri dish was instantly covered. For thirty minutes with a three
minute interval, the diameter (mm) of each substances was measured. The
partial and average rate of diffusion of the three substances were
calculated and compared. Methylene Blue (C16H18N3SCl) appeared to have
the highest molecular weight and was diffused in a longer time compared
among the two substances. Also. It has the lowest average rate of diffusion
and smallest distance covered followed by K 2Cr2O7 and KMnO4 which
had the lowest molecular weight, had covered the greatest distance and
had the highest average rate of diffusion. The second experiment that was
performed also follows the hypothesis just like in the first experiment.

INTRODUCTION
Molecules possess a type of energy called thermal energy which result from their
constant motion. Diffusion is one of the product of this motion. Diffusion is defined as the
random movement of particles which evenly spreads out into open space in a spontaneous
manner. On the other hand, when a population of molecules are involved its diffusion may be
directional. If the consideration would be viewed wherein any other forces are absence then the
substance would diffuse from a high concentration area to low concentration area. Substance will
diffuse down its concentration gradient, the region along which the density of a chemical
substance increases or decreases well, in this case decreases. Each substance diffuses down its

own concentration gradient, unaffected by concentration gradient of other substances

(Reece.et.al, 2011).
An ink dropped to a bowl of water and what happens is the ink dispersed throughout the
solution and will continue until the concentration is the same in all regions. This shows how
diffusion work the ink would first diffuse to a region where it is less concentrated then it spreads
out until they are evenly distributed in the concentration.
Duka (2009) states that if the molecular weight affects the rate of diffusion of substances,
the higher the molecular weight, the slower the diffusion. In the first part of the experiment, glass
tube was prepared with two substances, hydrochloric acid (HCl) and ammonium hydroxide
(NH4OH). A white smoke was formed inside the tube because of the gasses emitted by the
soaked cottons of by HCl and NH4OH which are plugged on both ends of tube. The gas emitted
by NH4OH and HCl were HCl and NH3. It could be viewed that the gas emitted by NH 4OH
covered a greater distance than the gas emitted by HCl because the thick, dense ring of smoke
was formed near the end of the tube which HCl was plugged. It is stated in the laboratory manual
that the molecular weight of NH3 and HCL, were 17 g/mol and 36 g/mol. On the second
experiment potassium permanganate (KMnO4) which has the lowest molecular weight (158
g/mol) diffused the fastest among the three substances. Followed by potassium dichromate
(K2Cr2O7) which has a molecular weight of 294 g/mol. Lastly, the methylene blue (C 16H18N3SCl )
diffused the slowest which has the highest molecular weight (374 grams/mole).
This study was conducted on September 29, 2015 at Wing C Room 117 of the Institute of
Biological Sciences in the University of the Philippines Los Baos, Laguna. The study aims to
determine the effect of molecular weight of pure substances on its rate of diffusion. The
objectives of the study are:

1. To understand the effect of the molecular weight of pure substances on its rate of
diffusion;
2. To determine which affected the distance travelled by pure substances using their
molecular weight; and
3. To explain the concept behind the relationship between the molecular weight of pure
substances on its rate of diffusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three pure substances were used in the experiment which are: potassium permanganate
(KMnO4), potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) and Methylene blue (C16H18N3SCl) which differ in
molecular weight and in color. Potassium permanganate (KMnO 4) which is violet, potassium
dichromate (K2Cr2O7), is yellow and Methylene blue (C16H18N3SCl) which is blue. These color
difference made it easy to identify each substances.
The material used is a petri dish with agar-water gel inside with three wells. One drop of
each pure substances (KMnO4, K2Cr2O7, C16H18N3SCl) were placed carefully and simultaneously
on each well using a dropper. Then, the petri dish was instantly covered. Also, a timer had been
used to set a thirty minute time and to record the changes in the diameter of each pure substances
using a three minute interval. The diameter of each substances was measured using a 12-inch
commercial ruler. Then, the partial rates were computed using the formula:
Partial rate (rp) = di - di-1
ti - ti-1
Where: di

= diameter of colored area at a given time

di-1 = diameter of colored area immediately before di

ti

= time when di was measured

ti-1 = time immediately before ti

By using the average of the computed partial rate, the average rate (mm/min) was determined.

Sample Computation:
For time at 3 minutes of potassium dichromate:
di = 3 mm.
di-1 = 3 mm.

Partial rate (rp) =

ti

= 3 min.

ti-1

= 0 min.

3 mm3 mm
3 min0 min

= 0 mm/min

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The diameter of each substances increases over time during the thirty minutes period with
a three minute interval as shown on Table 4.1 below. The result showed that potassium
permanganate (KMnO4) which has the lowest molecular weight covered the greatest distance of
8.5 mm in diameter. Secondly, the potassium dichromate (K 2Cr2O7) which covered 6.5 mm in
diameter and lastly by methylene blue (C 16H18N3SCl) which covered the shortest distance of 6
mm in diameter.

Potassium

Dichromate

Methylene Blue
Potassium permanganate

Figure 4.1 Water-agar gel set-up

Table 4.1. Diameter (mm) of potassium permanganate, potassium dichromate, and methylene
blue.

Potassium

Diameter (mm)
Potassium

Methylene Blue

permanganate (MW

dichromate (MW

(MW 374 g/mole)

158 g/mole)

294 g/mole)

Time (minute)
0
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
30

3.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
7.0
7.5
7.5
8.0
8.3
8.5
8.5

3.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
6.5
6.5
6.6
6.7
6.8
6.8

3..0
3.0
3.0
4.0
4.0
5.0
5.0
5.5
5.8
6.0
6.0

Table 4.2. Partial rate of diffusion of potassium permanganate, potassium dichromate, and
methylene blue for 30 minutes at a three-minute interval.

Partial rates of diffusion (mm/min.)

Potassium
Potassium
Methylene Blue
permanganate (MW

dichromate (MW

(MW 374 g/mole)

158 g/mole)
0.0
0.0
0.33
0.33
0.67
0.00
0.17
0.10
0.67
0.67
0.294

294 g/mole)
0.0
0.0
0.33
0.33
0.17
0.00
0.33
0.33
0.33
0.33
0.215

0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.33
0.00
0.06
0.01
0.07
0.0
0.047

TIME ELAPSED
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
30
Average rate

of

diffusion (mm/min)

0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5

Partial rate of diffusion (mm)

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

12

15

18

21

24

27

30

Time (min)
Potassium permanganate

Potassium dichromate

Methylene Blue

Figure 4.2. Partial rate of diffusion of the three pure substances versus time at 3-minute interval.

Average Rate of Diffusion (mm/min)

0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0

Molecular weights (g/mol)

Figure 4.3. Average rate of diffusion of the three pure substances with different molecular
weights.
For the average rate of diffusion (mm/min), Table 4.2. shows that potassium
permanganate (KMnO4) had the lowest molecular weight (158 g/mole) and shows that highest
average rate of diffusion of 0.30 mm/min followed by potassium dichromate (K 2Cr2O7) with
molecular weight of 294 g/mol and had the average rate 0.096 mm and lastly by methylene blue
(C16H18N3SCl) which had the highest molecular weight (320 g/mole) and had the lowest average
rate of diffusion of 0.041 mm/min. This phenomenon could be explained using the Grahams law
of diffusion and according to Chang (2011), it states that under the same conditions and
temperatures and pressures, rates of diffusion are inversely proportional to the square roots of
their molar masses. We can also see this from Figure 4.3. Therefore, we can now conclude that
substances with smaller molecular weight diffuse faster than substances with higher molecular
weight.

It could be observed that on the 30th minute, potassium permanganate (KMnO4) has the
highest partial rate of diffusion (0.67 mm/min) followed by potassium dichromate (K 2Cr2O7)
with 0.033 mm/min and methylene blue (C 16H18N3SCl) which has the lowest partial rate of 0.00
mm/min. On the first six minutes all of the three substances have zero partial rates. Then on the
ninth minute up to twelfth minute KMnO4 and K 2Cr2O7 had the same partial rate of 0.33 while
C16H18N3SCl remained zero. Then on the fifteenth minute the partial rates of three substance went
up. KMnO4 had the highest partial rate of 0.67 then it decreases then went back to 0.67 on the
twenty seventh minute and remained constant up to thirtieth minute. While K 2Cr2O7 remained
constant from the twenty first minute up to the thirtieth minute. Then, C 16H18N3SCl went back to
zero on the eighteenth minute then increases and decreases and increases again, until on the
thirtieth minute it went back to zero.
The effect of the molecular weight of these substances on their rate of diffusion could be
explained by various possible means. A dynamic equilibrium is soon to be reached when a
substance is diffusing at a decreasing concentration. Dynamic equilibrium is defined as the
continuous movement of the parts of a system, but the reaction rate which the forward and
backward reaction are equal so the system would remain unchanged. Other mechanism could
affect the diffusion rates such as steepness of the concentration gradients, temperature and
molecular size, also by gradients in electrical charge and pressure between two regions (Starr and
Taggart, 2004). Hence, the greater the molecular weight, the slower the diffusion rate and vice
versa.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The effect of the molecular weights of three different pure substances, namely, potassium
permanganate (KMnO4), potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) and methylene blue (C16H18N3SCl)
with varying molecular weights, on their rates of diffusion was observed from the experiment.
The average rate and partial rate of each substances were computed. The partial rate
could be obtained using the the diameter recorded and its given time by applying those two on
the given formula for the partial rate. The average rate was calculated by getting the average of
the partial rate of each pure substances.
The experiment showed that KMnO4 which had the smallest molecular weight, diffused
the fastest among the three pure substances with the final diameter of 8.5 mm in diameter, which
was followed by K2Cr2O7 with the final diameter of 6.8 mm in diameter and lastly by
C16H18N3SCl which had the final diameter of 6 mm in diameter. Then, the average of each
substances were 0.30 mm/min, 0,096 and 0.041 . These results showed that the hypothesis which
states that the higher the molecular weight the slower the diffusion rate of substance and vice
versa. Based on the experiment conducted, the result follows the hypothesis by looking at the
result of KMnO4 rate of diffusion, it had the lowest molecular weight and it diffused the fastest
among the three substances and C16H18N3SCl which had the highest molecular weight, diffused
the slowest. Futhermore, KMnO4 had also the highest partial rate of diffusion of 0.67 mm/min on
the fifteenth minute followed by K2Cr2O7 which had 0.17 mm/min and lastly by C16H18N3SCl
which had 0.33 mm/min. The partial rates of the three substances continued to decrease until it
remained constant.
The experiment that was conducted successfully fulfilled the aim of the study and its
objectives and we can now conclude that the greater the molecular weight of a substance, the
slower the rate of diffusion and vice versa. The experiment that was conducted only showed one

factor that affects the rate of diffusion of a pure substance. Other properties of pure substances,
including the environment factor can be determined by other experiments.

LITERATURE CITED
Chang, R., J. Overby. 2011. General Chemistry: The Essential Concepts. 6th ed. New
York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. p. 162.
Duka, I.A., M.Q. Diaz, N.O. Villa. 2009. Biology I Laboratory Manual: An Investigative
Approach. 9th ed. Laguna: Genetics and Molecular Biology Division, Institute
of Biological Sciences University of the Philippines Los Baos. pp. 35-36
Reece, J.B., L.A. Urry, M.L. Cain, S.A. Wasserman, P.V. Minorsky, and R.B. Jackson.
2011. Campbell Biology. 9th ed. San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings.
p. 132
Starr,C, Taggart, R, Evers, C, & Starr, L. 2008. Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life. 12th
Edition. Cengage Learning. Pp. 81-83.