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Which component of urine may have the greatest effect on the absorbing…
Which component of urine may have the greatest effect on the absorbing power of a hydrogel polymer?
1g of hydrogel/water crystals can absorb just less than 80 ml of fake urine until it is unable to stabilise, where some urine is unable to be contained, in comparison to 1g:90 ml of pure water
Variables
Independent: The amount of the substance that is used in each test
Dependent: How much of the substance can be absorbed by a gram of the polymer
Controlled: The amount of polymer used, the quality/brand/origin of the substances (making sure it's all from the same source)
Uncontrolled: accuracy of measuring equipment (how can we be certain exact values are known?)
Absorbency of hydrogel polymers
Network chains across the polymer allows for it to not dissolve when in contact with water
Hydrophilic (strongly absorbant of water) groups attached to the backbone of the polymer
Polymer backbone: longest continuous line of atoms in a polymer
Water is absorbed through process of osmosis; water moves through a semi-permeable membrane from a highly concentrated area to a low concentration area
Main factors that impact rate of osmosis:
Pressure
Surface area of membrane
Tempurature
Components of urine
Glucose
Solid at room temperature
Covalent
Is a reducing agent, meaning it can reduce oxidising agents (water is an oxidising agent)
Easily soluble in water, molecules having a prevalence of groups that are eager to form hydrogen bonds (OH)
Water
Greatest component of human urine (95%0
Urea
Solid at room temperature
Covalent
Predominantly found in urine; in a mammal's body, amino groups are converted into ammonia. Due to ammonia's toxicity to the body, it is transferred to the liver and converted to urea, which is excreted through urine
Sodium chloride
Solid at room temperature
Ionic
1 molar solution = 2 osmolar solution; cations and ions (sodium and chlorine) separate in water, meaning there are twice as many particles
To test effects on the polymer's absorbency, components have to be measured by amount dissolved in set quantity of water
Molar solution and osmolar solution for covalents are the same; doesn't break down atomically, dissolves due to molecules forming bonds to water