Osmotic pressures are often reported in units of atmospheres or mm Hg. The latter implies that the height of a column of liquid can be used as a measure of pressure. This is, in fact, the basis of the torricellian barometer from which the units of “torr” come. The pressure, P, is related to the height of the column by: P = ρgh where ρ is the density of the liquid, g is the acceleration due to gravity and h is the height. What will be the height (in mm) of a column of aqueous solution with a density of 0.9987 g/mL, if the osmotic pressure of the solution at 25 °C is 1.4 mm Hg? The density of mercury at this temperature is 13.8 g/mL
Osmotic pressures are often reported in units of atmospheres or mm Hg. The latter implies
that the height of a column of liquid can be used as a measure of pressure. This is, in fact, the
basis of the torricellian barometer from which the units of “torr” come. The pressure, P, is
related to the height of the column by:
P = ρgh
where ρ is the density of the liquid, g is the acceleration due to gravity and h is the height. What
will be the height (in mm) of a column of aqueous solution with a density of 0.9987 g/mL, if the
osmotic pressure of the solution at 25 °C is 1.4 mm Hg? The density of mercury at this
temperature is 13.8 g/mL
One torr is approximately equal to the pressure required to raise the column of mercury by 1 mm. Furthermore, the pressure exerted by the liquid depends only on the height and not upon the mass or volume of the liquid within.
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