In this problem, we need to understand the concept of reverse osmosis. Osmosis is the process by which water moves from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration through a semipermeable membrane. Reverse osmosis is achieved by applying pressure to the solution with the higher solute concentration, forcing water to move against the natural osmotic gradient.
Let's consider the two solutions given:
- Solution A: 1 M NaCl (Higher solute concentration)
- Solution B: 0.5 M NaCl (Lower solute concentration)
To understand what happens in reverse osmosis, follow these steps:
1. Identify the direction of natural osmosis: In natural osmosis, water moves from solution B (lower solute concentration) to solution A (higher solute concentration).
2. Determine how reverse osmosis works: Reverse osmosis involves forcing water to move in the opposite direction of natural osmosis by applying pressure to the hypertonic solution (the solution with a higher solute concentration).
3. Identify the hypertonic solution: In this case, Solution A is hypertonic relative to Solution B since it has a higher concentration of NaCl (1 M compared to 0.5 M).
4. Apply pressure to the hypertonic solution: By applying pressure to Solution A (the hypertonic solution), we force water to move from Solution B to Solution A, counteracting the natural osmotic pressure.
Thus, the correct outcome in reverse osmosis for the given conditions is "Pressure is applied to the hypertonic solution."
So the detailed, step-by-step conclusion is that in the process of reverse osmosis, we apply pressure to the hypertonic solution (Solution A in this scenario) to drive water against its natural movement from the lower concentration area (Solution B) to the higher concentration area (Solution A). The correct answer to the question is:
Pressure is applied to the hypertonic solution.
