Difference between Osmotic Pressure and Osmotic Potential

Osmotic Pressure and Osmotic Potential are two terms used in the study of osmosis, which is the movement of solvent molecules through a semi-permeable membrane to balance the concentration of solutes on either side.

The main difference is osmotic pressure is the pressure required to prevent osmosis from occurring while osmotic potential is the measure of the potential energy of a solution that results from the concentration of solutes.

Before we move to the differences, let’s understand what are Osmotic Pressure and Osmotic Potential:

  • Osmotic Pressure: Osmotic Pressure is the pressure required to prevent osmosis from occurring. It is the pressure that must be applied to a solution on one side of a semi-permeable membrane in order to stop the movement of solvent molecules from the side with lower solute concentration to the side with higher solute concentration.
  • Osmotic Potential: Osmotic Potential is the measure of the potential energy of a solution that results from the concentration of solutes. It is a measure of the energy required to move solute particles against the concentration gradient. It is measured in units of pressure, such as atmospheres (atm) or pascals (Pa).

Osmotic Pressure vs Osmotic Potential

Now, let’s move to Osmotic Pressure vs Osmotic Potential:

Major differences between Osmotic Pressure and Osmotic Potential

Osmotic Pressure Osmotic Potential
Osmotic Pressure is the pressure required to prevent osmosis from occurring. Osmotic Potential is the measure of the potential energy of a solution that results from the concentration of solutes.
Osmotic Pressure is measured in units of pressure, such as atmospheres (atm) or pascals (Pa). Osmotic Potential is also measured in units of pressure, such as atmospheres (atm) or pascals (Pa).
Osmotic Pressure is determined by the difference in solute concentrations across a semi-permeable membrane. Osmotic Potential is determined by the overall concentration of solutes in a solution.
Osmotic Pressure is a dynamic concept that depends on the current state of the system. Osmotic Potential is a static concept that depends on the properties of the solution.
Osmotic Pressure is a measure of the resistance to osmosis. Osmotic Potential is a measure of the driving force for osmosis.

 

That’s it.

Note that sometimes, the question might also be asked as “distinguish between Osmotic Pressure and Osmotic Potential”.

Also see:

Final words

Osmotic pressure and Osmotic potential are both related to the movement of water, but they are different.

Osmotic pressure is the force that is needed to stop water from moving across a semi-permeable membrane, while osmotic potential is a measure of how much energy is needed to move water across a semi-permeable membrane. Both are important in understanding how water moves in different systems.

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