What is the difference between isotonic hypotonic and hypertonic solution?

Answer 1

The words isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic refer to the relationship between two solutions.

- When two solutions are isotonic to one another, the two solutions have the same amount of solute as each other.

- When a solution is hypertonic in reference to another solution, that solution has more solute than the other.

- When a solution is hypotonic in reference to another solution, that solution has less solute than the other.

- Thus, on a scale of INCREASING solutes, you could align three solutions like this: hypotonic --> isotonic --> hypertonic.

Secondly, since substances move from a region of high concentration (more solute) to low concentration (less solute), remember that solutes will always move from a hypertonic solution to a hypotonic solution OR solvents will always move from a hypotonic solution to a hypertonic solution.

A good way to remember this is to know that "hyper" means above (more than) and hypo means "below" (less than), e.g. in HYPERactive = being really energetic or more energetic than normal vs. HYPOthermia = being very cold or below the normal temperature.

A way to figure out whether a solution is isotonic, hypertonic, or hypotonic in respect to another solution is to figure out the solutions tonacities. Tonacity is the measure of solute in a solution. Therefore, something hypertonic has more tonacity or more solute than another solution. Some people learn the term "solute potential," which has a similar concept to tonacity.

Examples:

A 0.4 mol glucose solution is isotonic to a 0.4 mol glucose solution.

A 0.4 mol glucose solution is hypertonic to a 0.2 mol glucose solution.

A 0.2 mol glucose solution is hypotonic to a 0.4 mol glucose solution.

Answer 2

Hypertonic solution is one which has higher osmotic concentration and less solvent concentration as compared to another solution. Hypotonic solution is one that possesses lower osmotic concentration and higher solvent concentration as compared to another solution. Isotonic solution is a solution that has same concentration, osmotic as well as solvent, as that of another solution .