Question

How would you differentiate adsorption and absorption?

Answer 1

DefinitionAssimilation of molecular species throughout the bulk of the solid or liquid is termed as absorption.Accumulation of the molecular species at the surface rather than in the bulk of the solid or liquid is termed as adsorption.PhenomenonIt is a bulk phenomenonIt is a surface phenomenon.Heat exchangeEndothermicprocessExothermicprocessTemperatureIt is not affected by temperatureIt is favoured by low temperatureRate of reactionIt occurs at a uniform rate.It steadily increases and reaches equilibriumConcentrationIt is same throughout the material.Concentration on the surface of adsorbent is different from that in the bulk

Answer 2

Answer:

The surface phenomenon of crowding up of molecules of a substance at the base surface rather than in the mass (bulk) of a solid or liquid is called Adsorption.

Adsorbate is the substance that gets adsorbed and the adsorbent is the substance on whose surface the adsorption takes place. Here, the concentration of the adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent increases. The concentration of the substance remains at the surface only in the case of adsorption.

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

For example, on dipping a chalk stick into an ink solution, there is only a color change on its surface and it will be found to be white from inside when the chalk stick is broken.

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.