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A cloudy suspension of cells can have a lower osmolarity than a clear solution because osmolarity counts:
AVisible particles only
BDissolved particles
COnly charged species
DOnly water molecules
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Dissolved particles
1. Cloudiness comes from whole cells scattering light, which says nothing about dissolved solute.
2. Osmolarity depends on the number of dissolved particles.
3. A solution that is cloudy with cells may have a lower osmolarity than one that is clear, if the second contains more dissolved molecules than there are cells.
4. So appearance is not a guide, and options A, C and D each count the wrong thing.
_Source: OpenStax Biology for AP(R) Courses (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 'Structure and Function of Plasma Membranes', sections 5.1-5.4_
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