Question

Assume human blood is iso-osmotic or isotonic with a 0.16 mol/lit saline (NaCl) solution (the solution does not change the volume of the blood cell) and for simplicity all dissolved salts in the solution are NaCl rather than ions. Estimate osmotic pressure at 37°C.

Answer 1

π = 4.1 atm

Step-by-step explanation:

We can calculate the osmotic pressure exerted by a solution using the following expression.

π = M . R . T

where,

π is the osmotic pressure

M is the molar concentration of the solution

R is the ideal gas constant

T is the absolute temperature

The absolute temperature is 37 + 273 = 310 K

π = M . R . T

π = (0.16 mol/L) . (0.082atm.L/mol.K) . 310 K = 4.1 atm