Diffusion
https://youtu.be/3SM8WsnXefw
What is Diffusion?
● Diffusion is the movement of particles from an area of
high concentration to an area of low concentration
● It happens naturally in liquids and gases
● Think of it like spreading out or mixing
● Can you think of any examples of diffusion you've seen
in everyday life?
Why Diffusion Happens
● Particles in liquids and gases are always moving
randomly
● They bump into each other and spread out over time
● This causes substances to mix together on their own
● How do you think temperature affects how fast diffusion
happens?
Diffusion in Action: Smell
● When someone sprays perfume across the room, how
does the smell reach you?
● Perfume particles move from an area of high
concentration (the spray) to low concentration (the rest
of the room)
● They spread out through the air until they reach your
nose
● Can you think of other smells that spread by diffusion?
Diffusion in Living Things
● Diffusion is super important for living organisms
● It's how substances move in and out of cells
● For example, oxygen diffuses into our blood from our
lungs
● Carbon dioxide diffuses out of our blood into our lungs
● What other substances do you think might diffuse in
and out of cells?
Diffusion in Liquids
● Let's look at an example: food coloring in water
● When you add a drop of food coloring to water, what
happens?
● The color slowly spreads out through the water
● This is diffusion in action!
● Can you predict what would happen if we used hot
water instead of cold?
Factors Affecting Diffusion
● Temperature: Higher temperature = faster diffusion
● Why? Particles have more energy and move faster
when it's hot
● Concentration difference: Bigger difference = faster
diffusion
● Particle size: Smaller particles diffuse faster
● Can you think of an experiment to test one of these
factors?
Diffusion vs. Dissolving
● Diffusion and dissolving are different processes
● Dissolving: A substance breaks up and mixes with a
liquid to form a solution
● Diffusion: Particles spread out from high to low
concentration
● Example: Sugar dissolves in tea, then the sweet taste
diffuses through the liquid
● Can you think of other examples of dissolving and
diffusion?
Diffusion in Gases vs. Liquids
● Diffusion happens faster in gases than in liquids
● Why? Gas particles are more spread out and move
faster
● Example: A smell spreads through air faster than food
coloring through water
● What do you think would happen if we tried to make
something diffuse through a solid?
Real-World Applications
● Diffusion is used in many technologies and processes
● Some air fresheners work by diffusion
● Plants absorb nutrients from soil through diffusion
● Can you brainstorm other ways diffusion might be
useful in everyday life?
● https://wordwall.net/resource/3161015
● Game on diffusion
Let's Experiment!
● Now it's your turn to explore diffusion
● We'll put a drop of food coloring in hot and cold water
● Observe what happens and record your results
● What do you predict will happen? Why?
● Remember to work safely and follow instructions
carefully!
