Consider the following statements: 1. During the process of osmosis, the solvent travels from the concentrated solution to the dilute solution. 2. In the reverse osmosis, external pressure is applied to the dilute solution. Which of the statements is/are correct?

Both statements are incorrect. Osmosis is the spontaneous movement of solvent through a semipermeable membrane from the side with lower solute concentration (dilute) to the side with higher solute concentration (concentrated), not the other way around. Reverse osmosis is a non‑spontaneous process achieved by applying an external pressure to the solution side (the more concentrated side) exceeding the osmotic pressure; this forces solvent to flow from the concentrated side toward the dilute or pure solvent side. Thus applying pressure to the dilute side, as statement 2 claims, is not the correct description of reverse osmosis [1].

Sources

1. [1] https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s3kv04300a16d312237346e5b49864de21/uploads/2024/08/2024080373.pdf