Mindanao State University- Iligan Institute of Technology

College of Education(Center of Excellence for Teacher Education)

Andres Bonifacio Ave., Tibanga, Iligan City, Philippines

Rate of Diffusion: Potassium permanganate,

Methylene Blue, Ammonium Hydroxide and
hydrochloric acid

Biology 101.1
(Prof. KristianBalondo)

PREPAIRED BY:

CAPAL, SAIMAH S.
ABSTRACT

The effect of molecular weight on the rate of diffusion was measured using two tests namely:

the glass tube test and the agar-water test. The set-up of the glass tube test used two cotton

balls of the same size. One cotton ball is moistened with hydrochloric acid (HCl) and the

other one is moistened with ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH). The two cotton balls were

inserted in both ends of the glass tube. NH4OH which has a lighter molecular weight

(35.0459 g/mole) diffused with a faster rate (0.75 centimeter) as compared to HCl which has

a greater molecular weight (36.4611g/mole) and diffused with 0.35 centimeter. A white ring

of smoke formed closer to the heavier substance. The agar-water gel set-up used a petri-dish

of agar-water gel with three wells on it. A drop of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) was

put on one well and a drop of methylene blue was put on the well.

INTRODUCTION

The glass tube set-up was used to prove that the molecular weight of a substance affects its

rate of diffusion. Two cotton balls of the same size, one was moisten with hydrochloric acid

(HCl), other with ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), were plugged into both ends of the glass

tube. NH4OH has a lower molecular weight of 35.0459 g/mole while HCI has a molecular

weight of (36.4611 g/mole). Together they will form ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) which

will be the basis for measuring which of the two travels/diffuses faster.

Diffusion is a movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of

lower concentration. The particles will fuse when they are evenly distributed and have

reached equilibrium. Potassium permanganate and methylene blue are substances used as

indicators and oxidizing agents. Potassium permanganate is used in organic compounds and
used commercially to purify water and sanitizer. It is chemically used to regulate certain

reducing compounds. Methylene blue is used as dye to identify bacteria and nucleic acids.

The dye will have the deepest shade of blue when in contact with acids.The study aims to

determine the effect of molecular weight and time on the rate diffusion of potassium

permanganate and methylene blue. Thespecific objectives are

1. The molecular weight affects the rate of diffusion; and

2. To explain why molecular weight must also be observed with time.

With this survey. We can deduce into a hypothesis that “the rate of diffusion of a atom is

reciprocally relative to its size” . With that is the statement that “if molecular weight is

involved in diffusion. So the substance with the lighter molecular weight will travel faster” .
MATERIALS AND METHODS.

Glass Tube Set-up

To measure the rate of diffusion through its molecular weight a glass tubing set-up was used. A glass

tubing is placed into a fume goon. Two cotton balls of the same size was obtained. One cotton ball was

soaked in hydrochloric acid ( HCl ) and the other was soaked in ammonium hydrated oxide ( NH4OH )

. Both cotton balls were plugged at the same clip on both terminals of the glass tubing. After some

proceedingss. a white ring of fume was observed to organize near the hydrochloric acid ( HCl ) . The

distance between the white ring of fume and the cotton ball with ammonium hydrated oxide ( NH4OH )

was recorded and the same was done with the distance between the white ring of fume and the cotton

ball with hydrochloric acid ( HCl ) .

The study was conducted to determine the rate of diffusion In the agar-water gel setup, a petri

dish containing three wells of equal diameters was used. A drop of potassium permanganate

and methylene blue was placed into each of the six wells were made so that there will be

three well per substance. A drop of each substance was then put into its assigned well at

the same time. After 60 minute observe methylene blue with the largest molecular weight

(MW=374 g/mole) and Potassium permanganate (MW=158 g/mole).

Measure the diameters (in millimeters) of the colored areas were measured at 15 minutetime

intervals and continue measuring up to one hr. The average rate of diffusion was calculated

by taking the average of the computed final diameter and initial diameter with time.

After gathering the data, compute the rate of diffusion for the two substances using the

formula. Then plot the data.

 RATE=Final diameter - Initial diameter

Time

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Table1

The tabular array 1 shows the distance of HCl and NH4OH from the formed white ring of

fume for each test. The white fume that was formed is really ammonium chloride ( NH4CI )

which is the merchandise between the reaction of gasses of both HCl and NH4OH. The tree

tests clearly showed the same form where the white ring of fume formed closer to HCI which

has a heavier molecular weight. This observation merely reveals that NH4OH which has a

lighter molecular weight diffused faster than HCl. The ring of smoke’s distance from

NH4OH ranges from: 0.75-0.85 centimeter while the ring of smoke’s distance from HCI

ranges from 0.35-0.45 centimeter. Calculating the mean distance of NH4OH-to-ring of fume

and HCI-to-ring of fume made it clearer that NH4OH diffused with the faster rate of 0.75

centimeter. Hydrochloric acid ( HCl ) has a molecular weight of 36. 4611g/mole and

ammonium hydrated oxide ( NH4OH ) has a molecular weight of 35. 0459 g/mole. HCI is

heavier in nature and a slower rate of diffusion is identified with it. NH4OH have the

opposite state of affairs. The fact that the white ring of fume appeared loser to the HCI

manifests that the NH4OH traveled faster and in longer distance as compared to HCI. we

could infer that the rate of diffusion of molecule comes in different measuring for different

molecular weights.
Table 2

Methylene blue with the largest molecular weight (MW=374 g/mole) resulted to have a

smaller diameter(13mm) with the lowest average rate of diffusion (0.161 mm/min.) and the

Potassium permanganateKMnO4(MW=158 g/mole), smaller diameter(10.33mm);lowest

average( 0.4mm/min.). With this, it can be observed that methylene blue, being the heaviest,

had the smallest diameter covered. This results shows that molecular weight has an effect in the

rate of diffusion. When the molecular weight is lower and the rate of diffusion will be higher

meaning they have an indirect relationship. Also, with time the rate of diffusion of

thesubstances decreased, meaning time and the rate of diffusion has an indirect relationship.

Methylene Blue Potassium Permanganate

(MW=374 g/mole) (MW=158 g/mole)

Time Diameter Rate Time Diameter Rate

0 13mm 0mm/min 0 10.33mm 0mm/min

15 14.33mm 0.089mm/min 15 18.67mm 0.556mm/min

30 19.33mm 0.211mm/min 30 30.33mm 0.667mm/min

45 21.67mm 0.193mm/min 45 32mm 0.482mm/min

60 22.66mm 0.161mm/min 60 34.33mm 0.4mm/min

Methylene Blue and Potassium PermanganateGraph in
Laboratory Experiment
CONCLUSION

Two set-ups are used to prove the consequence of molecular weight and clip to the rate of

diffusion. One is through the usage of Glass tubing set up where diffusion rate was measured

through the distance of white ring of fume from hydrochloric acid ( HCl ) and ammonium

hydrated oxide ( NH4OH ) . The other is through putting a bead two different solutions to

two Wells in a petri dish of H2O agar-gel. The solutions are Potassium permanganate and

Methylene blue. With the first set-up. NH4OH that has the smaller molecular weight of the

two was measured to go faster than the HCI. NH4OH has a mean distance of 0.75

centimeter as compared to HCI which has 0.35 centimeter. With the 2nd set-up.

The effect of molecular weight of the rate of diffusion was determined with the agar-water gel

set-up. Drops of potassium permanganate and methylene blue were simultaneously placed in

separate well sin the agar plate. The diameters of the substances were measured at 15 minutes

intervals, from 0 minutes to 60 minutes. The results showed that at the end of 60 minutes

KMnO4 had the largest diameter covered at 33.67mm and methylene blue 22.66mm.The

results acquired coincide with the hypothesis that if molecular weight affects diffusion rates,

then the larger the molecular weight, the slower the diffusion rate of the substance. Aside from

this, however, other factors such as temperature, concentration, the diffusion medium used also

affect the rate of diffusion.

REFERENCESS

Essays, UK. (November 2013). Rate of Diffusion of Potassium permanganate, Potassium

dichromate,andMethyleneblue1.RetrievedFrom

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/biology/rate-of-diffusion-of-potassium.php?vref=1

Essay About The Effect Of Molecular Weight on the Rate Of Diffusion Of Substances - 2083

Words

http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Effect-Of-Molecular-Weight-On-1472429.html

The Effect Of Molecular Weight on the Rate Of Diffusion Of Substances Essay Sample

https://epwijnants-lectures.com/free-articles/the-effect-of-molecular-weight-on-the-rate-of-dif

fusion-of-substances-essay-sample-5588