In osmosis, water moves toward solutions with higher what?

• A. Solute concentration
• B. Temperature
• C. pH
• D. Pressure

Answer: (A)

Osmosis moves water toward the side with higher solute concentration because solutes lower the water potential on that side, creating a gradient that pulls water across the membrane. Water moves from areas of higher water potential (lower solute concentration) to areas of lower water potential (higher solute concentration) in an effort to balance the potentials. The membrane lets water pass but not solutes freely, so the gradient dictates the direction of flow. Temperature can affect how fast water moves but not the direction, while pH and pressure don’t determine which way water travels in this context.