Which process describes shrinkage due to water loss?

Which process describes shrinkage due to water loss?

• A. Osmosis
• B. Diffusion
• C. Syneresis
• D. Absorption

Answer: (C)

Shrinkage caused by water loss is syneresis. In a gel, the polymer network can rearrange and expel the liquid that’s held within it, causing the material to contract and release water. This is different from absorption, which would make the material take in water and swell. Osmosis describes water moving across a semipermeable membrane due to solute differences, not the gel’s contraction itself. Diffusion is the broader movement of particles from higher to lower concentration, not specifically the gel shrinking aspect. So the phenomenon of a gel contracting as it loses water is syneresis.

Shrinkage caused by water loss is syneresis. In a gel, the polymer network can rearrange and expel the liquid that’s held within it, causing the material to contract and release water. This is different from absorption, which would make the material take in water and swell. Osmosis describes water moving across a semipermeable membrane due to solute differences, not the gel’s contraction itself. Diffusion is the broader movement of particles from higher to lower concentration, not specifically the gel shrinking aspect. So the phenomenon of a gel contracting as it loses water is syneresis.