What happens when a potato strip is placed in salt solution?

If the salt concentration in the cup is higher than inside the potato cells, water moves out of the potato into the cup. This leads to shrinkage of the potato cells, which explains why the potato strips get smaller in length and diameter.

What happens when you put a potato slice in salt water?

Salt is the key here. Water will move from an area of less salt to more salt (more water to less water), and so when the potato is placed in the saltwater, all the water that is inside the potato (yes, plants have a lot of water inside of them, that’s what gives a plant it’s structure) moves out by osmosis.

What happens when you put a potato in sugar water?

Results. The potato cylinders placed in pure water or weak sucrose solutions will gain mass/length as water will have moved from an area of high concentration (outside the potato cells) to an area of lower concentration (inside the potato cells).

Why do potatoes get soft in salt water?

When a potato chip is put into salt water, the potato cells become flaccid (soft and floppy). This is because there is a higher concentration of water molecules inside the potato cells than outside.

What happens to a potato in sugar water?

Since potatoes already contain sugar, less water will diffuse out of the potato placed in sugar water. The slice placed in water will be rigid, since it will absorb water.

Why do potatoes turn brown in salt water?

The water pulled from the cells dissolved more salt, letting the salt solution reach more cells, to take more water from the potato. That explains the water. What about the brown? Pulling that much water from the cells damages them.

Why do potatoes float in sugar water?

In the first beaker, the potato sinks in water; therefore the potato is more dense than water. This means that the water is floating above the potato. In beaker #2, the potato floats in sugar-water; therefore the potato is less dense than the sugar-water solution.