A NEW EQUATION FOR CALCULATING OSMOTIC POTENTIAL

A new equation for calculating osmotic potential was developed that is based on a molecular model of the structure of water. Its formulation involves no sub-equations that cannot be fully derived from established physical principles. The equation was first tested by calculating the osmotic potentials of a series of aqueous NaCl solutions with concentrations ranging from 0.103 to 4.382 kmol m-3 and comparing those calculations with calculations ade using equations recorded in the literature. Virtually the same results were obtained. Subsequently, it was tested successfully by comparative calculations on a selection of inorganic and organic aqueous solutions. The principles it embodies provide for the visualization of the molecular role of water in plants as a unifying mechanism. Factors that affect the size of the structure of water, and the consequent distance an individual molecule must travel to and fro across its cage, determine direction and rate of flow. It is considered that the equation will provide a new research tool for many osmotic-potential-related questions.