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Some students investigate the effect of the surface area : volume ratio on the rate of diffusion in animal cells - OCR Gateway - GCSE Biology - Question 16 - 2020 - Paper 1
Question 16
Some students investigate the effect of the surface area : volume ratio on the rate of diffusion in animal cells. They use hydrochloric acid and gelatine cubes that... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Some students investigate the effect of the surface area : volume ratio on the rate of diffusion in animal cells - OCR Gateway - GCSE Biology - Question 16 - 2020 - Paper 1
Step 1
Calculate the surface area : volume ratio for the cube with sides of 2 mm.
Answer
To find the surface area and volume of a cube, we can use the following formulas:
- Surface Area (SA) = 6 × (side length)²
- Volume (V) = (side length)³
For a cube with a side length of 2 mm:
- Surface Area = 6 × (2 mm)² = 6 × 4 mm² = 24 mm²
- Volume = (2 mm)³ = 8 mm³
Now, we can determine the surface area : volume ratio:
Thus, the surface area : volume ratio for the cube with sides of 2 mm is 3 : 1.
Step 2
What conclusion can be made about the effect of surface area : volume ratio on the rate of diffusion?
Answer
The results indicate that as the surface area : volume ratio increases, the time taken for the cubes to change color decreases. This suggests that a higher surface area : volume ratio facilitates a faster rate of diffusion, allowing substances to diffuse more quickly into the gelatine cube. Therefore, we can conclude that a greater surface area relative to volume enhances the efficiency of diffusion processes.