Saline is a solution that contains a certain amount of nacl and is designed to have the same osmotic pressure as normal blood
cells. doctors often give saline to patients who have lost blood. which of the following explains why glucose of the same molality
cannot attain the same effect as saline?
each formula unit of nacl will give two particles because of ionization, but each molecule of glucose dissolves to give only
one particle. osmotic pressure for glucose will be lower than is required.
glucose would not maintain osmotic pressure because on dissociation it forms two particles per formula unit, but nacl would
give only one particle per formula unit. osmotic pressure is higher when the number of particles decreases.
osmotic pressure increases with the decrease in the number of particles of solute in the solution. nacl provides fewer
particles per formula unit than glucose does.
sodium and chloride ions can pass freely through the membranes of red blood cells, but glucose molecules cannot pass
through the membranes.