Science
What is Diffusion?
Diffusion is the natural spreading of particles from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration, until they're evenly mixed. It's why a drop of dye colors a whole glass of water and how oxygen moves into your blood.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains diffusion.
Key things to understand
- 1Particles move from high to low concentration.
- 2It continues until they're evenly spread.
- 3It's driven by random particle motion.
- 4It's vital in biology, like gas exchange in lungs.
Frequently asked questions
- What is diffusion?
- The spreading of particles from high to low concentration until they are evenly distributed.
- What's an example of diffusion?
- A drop of food coloring spreading through water, or a scent filling a room.
- What's the difference between diffusion and osmosis?
- Diffusion is the spread of any particles; osmosis is specifically the diffusion of water across a membrane.