If there were no semi-permeable membrane, would water move from areas of low solute to high as in osmosis or would the solute diffuse? Explain your thinking.

"In osmosis, water moves from areas of low concentration of solute to areas of high concentration of solute." ... So osmosis only occurs with a semipermeable membrane, and even with the membrane some water will move both sides. MORE water will move up the concentration gradient, thus there is a net flow up the gradient.

Wind causes waves to form