2006-11-21 16:33:33 · 4 answers · asked by Harvey 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
As a lot of the previous answers said it is a membrane that lets through some molecules, usually water, but not necessarily so.
In a way you can picture an air filter for your car or house as having one, it catches the big stuff but lets the small stuff through. The only really difference between an air filter and a permeable membrane is the size of the holes.
Dialysis machines use one for scrubbing out the bad stuff in our blood (not going to get techie about this). Fuel cells in our future cars use one, but the most well known one that I can think of is the fabric Gore Tex. It is water proof to the extent that a puddle of water won't soak through but your sweat will be able to work it's way out. You can stay dry as a bone and yet not worry about sweat building up.
There are many other uses for a permeable membrane, but these are a few uses that are common.
2006-11-21 17:20:57 · answer #1 · answered by cedykeman1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Permeable membrane: A membrane that allows all materials to cross it.
2006-11-22 00:55:58 · answer #2 · answered by Rambhu 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it has pores that let molecules through.
do you mean to ask what is a semi-permeable membrane? thats more common...
2006-11-22 00:36:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it allows certain molecules to pass thru it...that is certain substance from one enviro gets into another thru the pores present in it..
2006-11-22 00:40:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋