Clogged Pores: Impact of Starch on the Diffusion of Salt

Abstract

This study portrays the effect of starch on the diffusion rate of a salt solution. When starch is added to a salt solution, the diffusion rate will slow because the starch molecules are larger in size and therefore it will block the channels of the semipermeable membrane. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the diffusion rate of a salt solution to that consisted of 5 mL of a 1% salt solution, and 5mL of a 1% starch solution. This will allow us to conclude what role larger molecules play in determining diffusion rates.