Now imagine the same root as in Question 16 being placed in a dry soil in which the little soil water present has a water potential of –1.0 MPa. Would water move from the soil into the root or would it move from the root into the soil?

Question 16

Imagine a cell with a water potential of –0.1 MPa being placed in a beaker of solution that also has a water potential of –0.1 MPa. Are the two water potentials in equilibrium? Would any water molecules be moving between the cell and the solution? Would there be a net movement of water? Now imagine a root in moist soil, and imagine that the root cortex cells have a water potential of –0.1 MPa and that the soil solution also has a water potential of –0.1 MPa. Would there be any net movement of water into the root?