Externet Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 From data found on the web, the water molecule diameter is 280 pm; the chlorine ion is 184 pm; the sodium ion is 102 pm. If the water molecule is bigger, how can an osmotic membrane work to filter seawater ions out in desalination? Miguel
John Cuthber Posted April 3, 2007 Posted April 3, 2007 That's a very good question. I think the answer is that the ions in solution are hydrated and these hydrated ions are too big to go through the membrane pores.
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