When the concentration of molecules on both sides of a membrane is equal, the molecules will?
Answers
Answer:
If the membrane is permeable to that molecule, no. It just moves back and forth at the same rate on average over time. If the membrane is actively transporting that molecule in one direction, it will depend how quickly it is being actively transported relative to passive transport in the other direction. Also, once an equilibrium point is reached (whatever that point may be), the permeability of the membrane may be altered (common in biological systems), so sometimes there may be no movement in one or both directions. If it is a one way permeability, then the concentration may become very slightly higher on the destination side than the origin, and the degree to which that is true will depend on the molecule, the thickness of the membrane, other molecules in the system, the energy in the system (and where that energy is), and the nature of the membrane's permeability.