Trusted by millions of Kenyans
LoginRegister
Study resources on Kenyaplex

Get ready-made curriculum aligned revision materials

Exam papers, notes, holiday assignments and topical questions – all aligned to the Kenyan curriculum.

Browse exam papers
Or go directly to:
Class notes Holiday assignments Topical questions Other resources

State three factors that affect the rate of diffusion

State three factors that affect the rate of diffusion

Answers

John
i) Thickness of membranes and tissues: The thicker the membrane or tissue, the lower the rate of diffusion. This is because the distance to be covered by diffusing molecules is greater. However if the membrane is thin, the rate of diffusion is high.

ii) Size of molecules: small and light molecules diffuse faster than large and heavy molecules.

iii) Temperature: An increase in temperature increases the energy content of molecules and causes them to move faster. An increase in temperature therefore increases the rate of diffusion while a decrease in temperature decreases rate of diffusion.

iv) Surface area of the of the volume ratio

v) Concentration gradient/ diffusion gradient
johnmulu answered the question on April 29, 2017 at 06:00

Answer Attachments

Next: In an investigation, a student extracted three pars of pawpaw cylinders using a cork borer. The cylinders were cut back to 50mm lenth and placed in a beaker containing a solution. The results after 40 minutes were as shown in the table below.

Previous: (a) What is meant by term wilting? (b) Explain how an increase in temperature affects the rate of active transport.

View more Biology Questions and Answers  |  Return to Questions Index

Exams With Marking Schemes

Related Questions