Diffusion and Fick's Law

Summary

This video uses a simple model to help students understand the fundamental difference between a regular and a random walk. The concept of a random walk is connected to diffusion and is used to explain the structure of Fick’s law. Finally, Fick’s Law is used to explain why wearing a coat is useful in the winter, to estimate diffusion times for biomolecules, and to understand why we need a circulatory system to efficiently transport oxygen throughout the body.

Learning Objectives

After watching this video students will be able to:

• Describe the difference between regular and random walks.
• Explain the structure of Fick’s law.

Funding provided by the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

Developed by the Teaching and Learning Laboratory (TLL) at MIT for SUTD

MIT © 2012