Igcse Model Questions Vol1 2023 Biology Question 38
Practice objective / multiple choice question 38 from the 2023 Igcse Model Questions Vol1 Biology examination.
Oxygen (\(O_{2}\)) and carbon dioxide (\(CO_{2}\)) diffuse across the alveolar membrane, which is 0.5 µm thick. Their diffusion coefficients are \(D_{O_{2}} = 2.1 \times 10^{-5}\) cm\(^2\) s\(^{-1}\) and \(D_{CO_{2}} = 1.9 \times 10^{-5}\) cm\(^2\) s\(^{-1}\). The partial‑pressure differences driving diffusion are \(\Delta P_{O_{2}} = 100\) mmHg and \(\Delta P_{CO_{2}} = 40\) mmHg. Using Fick's law (rate \(\propto D\,\Delta P / \text{thickness}\)), determine which gas diffuses faster and calculate the factor by which its rate exceeds the other.
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This is Igcse Model Questions Vol1 2023 Biology Question 38. It is one of the objective questions from the 2023 Igcse Model Questions Vol1 Biology examination.
Difficulty level: Medium .
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