Practice Quiz

SAT Chemistry

Category - Multiple Choice

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A cell placed in pure water has swelled. Why?
  1. The cell was in an isotonic environment, so water flowed into it.
  2. The cell was in a hypotonic environment, so water flowed into it.
  3. The cell was in a hypertonic environment, so water flowed into it.
  4. The cell was in a hypotonic environment, so water flowed out of it.
  5. The cell was in a hypertonic environment, so water flowed out of it.
Explanation
Answer: B. The cell must have been hypertonic to the water (had a higher concentration of salts or other dissolved material), which caused the water to flow in and make the cell swell. Thus the water is hypotonic to the cell, meaning the cell was in a hypotonic environment.
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