If a shallow pan is filled with water, a drop of red ink is placed in one end of the pan, and a drop of green ink is placed in the other end, which of the following will be true at equilibrium?
A) Each ink will move down its concentration gradient.
B) The concentration of each ink will be higher at one end of the pan than at the other.
C) The inks will move until they meet and then interfere with each other's movement.
D) The red ink will be uniformly distributed in one half of the pan, and the green ink will be uniformly distributed in the other half.
E) The red and green inks will be uniformly distributed throughout the pan.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

At equilibrium, both red and green ink molecules will be uniformly distributed throughout the water in the pan. This is because the molecules of each ink will diffuse from their high concentration areas to their low concentration areas until they are evenly distributed throughout the pan. As a result, the red and green inks will mix to create a combination of the two colors, resulting in a uniform distribution throughout the pan.

If a Shallow Pan Is Filled with Water, a Drop