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Water potential is best defined as which quantity?
AThe volume of water held per unit of tissue
BThe rate at which water crosses a membrane
CThe difference in potential energy from pure water
DThe mass of solute dissolved in a water sample
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. The difference in potential energy from pure water
1. Water potential measures the potential energy in water.
2. In practical terms it is the difference in potential energy between a given water sample and pure water at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature.
3. Plant physiologists care about it because it predicts water movement between two systems.
4. Volume, rate and solute mass are separate measurements and none of them is an energy difference.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 30 "Plant Form and Physiology", section 30.5 Transport of Water and Solutes in Plants_
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