Question

Distinguish between adsorption and absorption with eg

Answer 1

The primary difference between adsorption and absorption is that absorption is a bulk phenomenon which means that it happens throughout the body of the material, whereasadsorption remains to be a surface phenomenon.

Answer 2

Answer:

Adsorption is a surface phenomenon of accumulation of molecules of a substance at the surface rather than in the bulk of a solid or liquid.

The substance that gets adsorbed is called the ‘adsorbate’ and the substance on whose surface the adsorption takes place is called the ‘adsorbent’.

Here, the concentration of the adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent increases. In adsorption, the substance gets concentrated at the surface only.

It does not penetrate through the surface to the bulk of the solid or liquid.

For example, when we dip a chalk stick into an ink solution, only its surface becomes coloured.

If we break the chalk stick, it will be found to be white from inside.  On the other hand, the process of absorption is a bulk phenomenon. In absorption, the substance gets uniformly distributed throughout the bulk of the solid or liquid.