Two beakers are placed side by side in a sealed encloser. The first beaker contains 100mL of pure water, the other an equal volume of an aqueous solution of sugar. What would be the volumes of the liquids in the two beakers when all physical changes stop, that is when the equilibrium is reached ?

Two beakers are placed side by side in a sealed encloser. The first be

1.	Two beakers are placed side by side in a sealed encloser. The first beaker contains 100mL of pure water, the other an equal volume of an aqueous solution of sugar. What would be the volumes of the liquids in the two beakers when all physical changes stop, that is when the equilibrium is reached ?
Answer» Solution :The vapour PRESSURE over water is higher than that over the sugar solution. The vapour pressure necessary to ACHIEVE equilibrium with pure water `(p_(1))` is higher than that required with the sugar solution `(p_(2))`. Consequently , as the pure water SOLVENT in the first beaker seeks to reach equilibrium by forming water vapour, the sugar solution in the other beaker seeks to reach equilibrium by removing water molecules from the vapour phase. A net MOVEMENT of water molecules from the pure water in the first beaker, to the sugar solution in the second beaker, results. The process continues until no free water in the first beaker REMAINS. The other beaker shall then have 200mL of sugar solution.