Question

What characteristic makes osmosis different from diffusion?

Answer 1

Answer:

The answer is the last stated correct Characteristics statement which is 'Osmosis occurs through a semipermeable membrane. Diffusion occurs through a permeable membrane’.

Explanation:

Osmosis is the net movement of solvents (i.e water) and solutes through a semipermeable membrane from a region of higher concentration to a region od lower concentration, while diffusion is the movement of particles (i.e molecules, ions and atoms) from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration.

Based on these definitions with regards to the question Osmosis and Diffusion both:

• are passive transport processes, which means they do not require any input of extra energy to occur  
• have particles that move from an area of higher concentration to one of lower concentration
• additionally, Osmosis is used for mostly solvents (water) and some solutes (salt), making diffusion uses for mostly oxygen and carbon dioxide

Hence the only distinctive characteristics, that is correct, which makes Osmosis different from Diffusion is that Osmosis occurs through a semipermeable membrane while diffusion is through a membrane only.  

Answer 2

The answer is the first one. Diffusion is water only while osmosis can be for gasses