Which factor is primarily responsible for the movement of water across cell membranes in osmosis?

Water is sometimes called the “universal solvent” because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid.

This is due to its polarity and ability to form hydrogen bonds, which allows it to dissolve ions and polar molecules.

Choice A) Because water dissolves all solutes equally well is incorrect because water does not dissolve all solutes equally well.

Choice B) Because water is a nonpolar solvent is incorrect because water is a polar solvent.

Choice D) Because water is poor at dissolving nonpolar molecules is incorrect because it does not explain why water is called the “universal solvent”.

Using a placebo group and a double-blind technique for giving the medications is the best way to ensure that the study is valid and reliable.

A placebo group helps control for the placebo effect, which can influence the results of a study.

A double-blind technique means that neither the patients nor the researchers know which medication is being given, reducing bias.

Choice A is not the best answer because while a large sample size and standardized procedure can increase reliability, they do not address validity.

Choice C is not the best answer because a matched-pairs design and crossover technique are useful for reducing variability but do not address validity.

Choice D is not the best answer because a convenience sample may not be representative and a pretest-posttest design does not control for extraneous variables.