Two beakers are placed in a sealed container surrounded with air. In one beaker is pure H2O (Beaker A) and the other beaker is a 10% Sugar solution (Beaker B). As the system approaches equilibrium what change occurs to the volume of water in beaker A? What happens to the concentration of the sugar solution in Beaker B. Explain why these changes occur.

Answer 1

The osmotic pressure of the sugar solution is higher (the vapor pressure is lower) and water molecules from the beaker of pure water will evaporate and condense in the beaker with the sugar solution. It does this in an effort to, in effect, dilute the sugar solution to pure water. Of course that never happens.