A bottle filled with previously moistened mustard seeds and water was screw capped tightly and kept in a corner. It blew up suddenly after about half an hour. The phenomenon involved is

Options

A. diffusion
B. Imbibition
C. osmosis
D. D.P.D

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding the Setup**: A bottle is filled with moistened mustard seeds and water, then tightly capped. The environment is closed, meaning no air can escape or enter.

2. **Identifying the Process**: The mustard seeds, being moistened, will begin to absorb water. This process is known as imbibation, where water is absorbed by solid substances, particularly colloidal materials like seeds.

3. **Effect of Imbibation**: As the mustard seeds absorb water, they swell. This swelling increases the volume of the seeds and creates pressure inside the closed bottle.

4. **Pressure Build-Up**: The absorbed water leads to an increase in imbibitional pressure. This pressure continues to build up because the water cannot escape the sealed environment of the bottle.

5. **Explosion of the Bottle**: After about half an hour, the pressure reaches a critical point where it exceeds the strength of the bottle, causing it to blow up suddenly.

6. **Conclusion**: The phenomenon responsible for the explosion of the bottle is imbibation, which leads to the creation of imbibitional pressure due to the absorption of water by the mustard seeds.

**Final Answer**: The phenomenon involved is imbibation.

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