HORT 4012 Chapter : WATER TRANSPORT PROCESSES
Document Summary
Chemical potential free energy change with addition of a unit quantity. Solvent liquid in which solute is dissolved. Chemical potential is approximately proportional to the concentration of solute. Water potential any system that contains water being equivalent to the chemical potential of water in that system compared to the chemical potential of pure water at atmospheric pressure and the same temp. Chemical potential of reference water (pure) being set at zero. Water potential negative = chemical potential lower than pure water. Water potential positive = chemical potential higher than pure water. Water potential higher in one part of system then diffusion from high to low occurs = release of energy = free energy decreases = work (osmotic lift of water up the xylem of a tree by root pressure) Temperature potential we assume constant temperatures due to thermodynamics equations. Pressure potential - as pressure increases the solvents ability to do work increases.
