potato in salt water osmosis experiment

January 9, 2020

Make a Potato Shrink--with Saltwater

A water-moving science project from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies & Svenja Lohner

Create movement with salt! Learn how plant cells regulate water with an activity you can see--and feel.

George Retseck

Key Concepts Biology Osmosis Cells Chemistry Concentration Water transport

Introduction Have you ever wondered how plants "drink" water from the soil? Water uptake in plants is quite complicated. A process called osmosis helps the water move from the soil into the plant roots—and then into the plant's cells. In this activity you will see for yourself how you can make water move with osmosis!

Background Most water in the ground is not pure water. It usually contains dissolved mineral salts. Animals and plants need these salts (which include calcium, magnesium, potassium and the sodium you might be familiar with as table salt) to grow, develop and stay healthy. Different water sources carry different amounts of these salts. Nature wants to balance a system that is not balanced. So if you mix water with two different salt concentrations, the salts don't stay separated but spread out evenly through the solution until the salt concentration is the same throughout.

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You'll find a similar reaction if you separate two salt solutions with a semipermeable membrane. A semipermeable membrane is a type of barrier that only lets certain particles pass through while blocking others. This type of membrane usually lets water pass through but not the salts that are dissolved in the water. In this situation, because only water can move through this membrane, the water will start moving from the area of lower salt concentration (which has more water and less salt) to the area of higher salt concentration (which has less water and more salt). This water movement will only stop once the salt and water concentration on both sides of the membrane is the same.

The process of moving water across a semipermeable membrane is called osmosis. Plants use this process to their advantage for water uptake. They create an environment of high salt concentration in their root cells that are in contact with the soil. The cell walls act as a semipermeable membrane that only let water through. Because the water outside the root cells has a lower salt concentration, water starts moving into the root cells due to osmosis. The water entering the plant fills up the cells and can travel to the rest of the plant. Osmosis, however, works in both directions. If you put a plant into water with a salt concentration that is higher than the concentration inside its cells, water will move out of the plant to balance out the concentration difference. As a result the plant shrinks and eventually dies. You will see this effect with your own eyes in this activity using potatoes and different saltwater solutions.

Distilled water

Measuring cup with milliliters (mL)

Weight scale with gram measurements

Three plastic cups or glasses

At least three potatoes

Apple corer. (Alternatively, you can have an adult help you use a cutting board and knife.)

Knife (and an adult helper to help you use it)

Pen or pencil

Paper towels

Graphing paper (optional)

Other vegetable(s) or fruit (optional)

Preparation

Prepare three different saltwater solutions. Create labels for the three cups: "0 grams," "2 grams" and "4 grams."

To each of the cups add 100 mL of distilled water.

Weigh out 2 grams of table salt, and add it to the cup that says "2 grams." Then weigh out 4 grams of table salt, and add it to the cup labeled "4 grams." Use a spoon to mix the solutions until all the salt is dissolved.

Draw a table in which you can enter the starting measurements (length and diameter or width) and end measurements of each potato strip for every salt concentration (0, 2 and 4 grams).

Prepare at least three potato cores. Carefully push the corer all the way through the potato, and remove the core carefully so the potato piece stays intact. (Alternatively, you can have an adult help cut the potato into strips that all have the same dimensions.) The potato pieces should be at least one-half inch thick and two inches long. (Ideally you will be able to prepare nine matching cores or strips so you can test three pieces in each solution to compare the results thoroughly.)

Use a knife to carefully remove any potato skin from your cores, and rinse the cores quickly with water.

Use a ruler to ensure each potato piece is the same size (ideally to the millimeter). Carefully use a knife to trim any pieces as needed.

Measure the dimensions (length and diameter or width) of each potato strip in millimeters, and write the information in the table.

Optionally, you can also weigh each potato piece and record their weights.

Put one potato strip (or three if you made nine pieces) into each of the cups. While you do that feel the potato strips with your fingers and try to flex them a little bit. How do they feel? Are they easy to bend?

Start your timer for 30 minutes. Let the potato strips sit in the different solutions for the whole time. What do you think will happen to the strips in each of the cups?

After 30 minutes inspect the potato strips inside the solutions. Do you see any changes?

Take the potato strip(s) out of the "0 grams" cup and place on a paper towel. While doing that feel the potato pieces again and try to bend them slightly. How do they feel? Are they easier or more difficult to bend than before?

Use the ruler to measure the exact length and diameter or width (in millimeters) of each of the potato strips, and write the results in your table. What do you notice about the potato strip measurements? Optionally you can weigh these pieces and record their weights.

Next take the potato strips from the "2 grams" cup, and place them on a paper towel; as you do this feel them. Measure their lengths and diameters or widths. Write your results in the table. Optionally you can weigh these pieces and record their weights. What changed about these potato strips?

Repeat the same steps with the potato strips in the "4 grams" cup. Write your results in the table. Are your results for these similar or different compared with the other ones?

How did the feeling of the strips compare based on what solution they were in? Why do you think this is?

Compare the results in your table. How did the length and diameter or width of the potato strips change in each cup? What about the weights if you took them? Can you explain your results?

Extra: If you weighed each of your strips before and after soaking them, compare the weights. How does the mass of the potato strips change in each solution?

Extra: Leave the potato strips in the solutions for a longer time period. How do they look if you let them soak in the saltwater for one hour or overnight?

Extra : If you have graphing paper, make a graph of your results with the salt concentration on the horizontal axis and the potato strip length or diameter after soaking on the vertical axis. Draw two lines to make your graph. For the first, connect each of the data points you found. For the second, draw a horizontal line starting at the point on the vertical axis that shows the original length of your potato strip. Based on your graph can you find a salt concentration at which the potato strip length should not change at all?

Extra: How does the activity work with other vegetables or fruit? Try it to find out!

Observations and Results Did your potato strips shrink and expand? At the beginning all the potato strips should have had the same length and should have all felt the same. When you put them into the different solutions, however, this starts to change. Whereas the potato strips in the "0 gram" cup probably got larger in size, the other potato strips probably got shorter after leaving them in the saltwater for 30 minutes. (If you didn't see any significant changes after 30 minutes, leave the potato strips in the saltwater solutions longer.)

The shrinking and expanding of the potato strips is due to osmosis. Potatoes are made of cells, and their cell walls act as semipermeable membranes. The 0 grams solution contains less salts and more water than the potato cells (which have more salts and less water). To balance out these concentration differences, the water from the cup moves into the potato cells. The incoming water in the potato cells pushes on the cell walls and makes the cells bigger. As a result the whole potato strip gets bigger. The opposite is the case in the higher concentration salt solutions. 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. Due to the shrinking of the potato cells the potato strip also becomes less rigid. If you bent the potato strips, you should have noticed that those that had been in the solution with the highest amount of salt were much easier to bend than the potato strips in the water without salt.

If you made the graph you probably noticed that there is a salt concentration at which the potato strip neither expands nor shrinks. This should be where your data curve and your start length line intersect. At this point the salt concentration inside the potato cells and inside the cup are the same. Because the concentrations are already balanced no water moves.

Cleanup Discard the saltwater solutions in the sink. Throw the potato strips into the compost, and clean up your workspace. You can cook with the other pieces of unused potato.

More to Explore Osmosis , from Biology Dictionary Do Fish Drink? from McGill University's Office for Science and Society Cucumber Chemistry: Moisture Capture with Desiccants , from Scientific American Suck It Up! How Water Moves Through Plants , from Science Buddies STEM Activities for Kids , from Science Buddies

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Science Experiments on the Osmosis of a Potato

Osmosis Experiments With Potatoes for Kids

Osmosis, the process in which solvent molecules move from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration, can easily be demonstrated with potato experiments. Potatoes are full of both water and starch, and will gain water when immersed in watery solutions. Conversely, they will lose water when in concentrated solutions, such as those containing a great deal of starch. You can use potatoes to set up osmosis experiments for students of all ages and levels.

Potatoes in Saltwater

Cut a potato in two, and immerse one of the halves in a very salty solution of water — one containing a quarter cup of salt in a cup of water. Immerse the other piece in tap water containing no added salt. Leave both in their respective solutions for half an hour, then remove the potato halves from their solutions and observe their differences. The one in the salty solution will have shrunk, indicating that water is diffusing from a less concentrated solution to a more concentrated solution. The one in the tap water solution, in contrast, will actually swell slightly, indicating that it is taking in water.

Salt, Sugar and Pure Water

This experiment helps students to differentiate between different degrees of concentration gradients. Make one salt water solution, one sugar water solution, and for the third solution, simply use tap water. Make three thin potato slices — 1/2 cm thick. Place each potato slice into each of the solutions, and leave the slices in the solutions for a half hour.

Observe that the slice placed in salt is very flexible, while the slice placed in sugar is flexible, but less so. 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.

Potato Lengths in Saline Solutions

Give your students potato "cylinders" that are uniform in length and size: for instance, you could cut them to be 70 mm in length and 7 mm in diameter. Make solutions of saline in three different concentrations, 20 percent, 0.9 percent and 0.1 percent. Have the students measure the lengths and diameters of the potato cylinders before and after soaking them in the saline solutions for half an hour. Then, have them calculate the changes in the lengths and diameters of the cylinders, and plot the saline concentrations versus the changes.

Potato Cube Weights

Cut potatoes into four groups of small, uniform cubes measuring 1/2 cm by 1/2 cm. Make four different solutions of sucrose: 10 percent, 5 percent, 1 percent and 0.01 percent. Weigh each group, on a mass balance, before immersing it in the appropriate sucrose solution for half an hour. After immersion, weigh each group again and have your students calculate the changes in the potato masses. Ask them to comment on why a group gained mass, lost mass or retained the same mass.

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• The Teachers Corner: Science Experiment--Osmosis

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Tricia Lobo has been writing since 2006. Her biomedical engineering research, "Biocompatible and pH sensitive PLGA encapsulated MnO nanocrystals for molecular and cellular MRI," was accepted in 2010 for publication in the journal "Nanoletters." Lobo earned her Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering, with distinction, from Yale in 2010.

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Potato Osmosis Lab

Explore what happens to potatoes when you put them in a concentration of salt water and then pure water. Set up an osmosis potato lab and learn all about osmosis when you try this fun potato experiment with the kids. We are always searching for simple science experiments , which is perfect. Grab the free printable experiment below.

What is Osmosis ? Learn more about osmosis through a variety of experiments.

• 2 tall glasses of distilled water (or regular)

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Peel and then cut your potato into four equal pieces about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide.

STEP 2: Fill your glasses half way with distilled water, or regular water if no distilled is available.

STEP 3: Now mix 3 tablespoons of salt into one of the glasses and stir.

STEP 4: Place two pieces of potato into each glass and wait. Compare the potatoes after 30 minutes and then again after 12 hours.

What happened to the potato pieces? Here you can see how a potato can demonstrate the process of osmosis. Make sure to go back and read all about osmosis!

If you thought the salt water would have a higher concentration of solutes than the potato, and the distilled water would have a lower concentration you would be correct. The potato in the salt water shrinks because water moves from the potato into the more concentrated salt water.

In contrast, water moves from the less concentrated distilled water into the potato causing it to expand.

What Happens to a Potato in Salt Water?

The process of moving water across a semi-permeable membrane from a low concentrated solution to a high concentrated solution is called osmosis . A semi-permeable membrane is a thin sheet of tissue or layer of cells acting as a wall that allows only some molecules to pass through.

In plants, water enters the roots by osmosis. The plants have a higher concentration of solutes in their roots than in the soil. This causes water to move into the roots. The water then travels up the roots to the rest of the plant.

ALSO CHECK OUT: How Water Travels Through A Plant

Osmosis works in both directions. If you put a plant into water with a higher salt concentration than the concentration inside its cells, water will move out of the plant. If this happens then the plant shrinks and will eventually die.

Potatoes are a great way to demonstrate the process of osmosis in our potato osmosis experiment below. Discuss whether you think the potato or the water in each glass will have the greatest concentration of solutes (salt).

Which potato pieces do you think will expand and which will shrink in size as the water moves from a low concentration to a high concentration?

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE POTATO OSMOSIS EXPERIMENT!

More Osmosis Experiment Ideas

don’t stop with a potato osmosis lab; try one of these osmosis experiments to extend the learning.

• Rubber Egg Science
• Glowing Spinach
• Growing Gummy Bears
• Colored Celery Science

MORE FUN EXPERIMENTS TO TRY

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Potato Osmosis

The Biology Corner

Biology Teaching Resources

Investigation: The Effect of Salt on a Potato

Students observe how the mass of a potato slice changes when soaked overnight in salt water.  The activity is intended to be done as part of a lesson on osmosis and hypertonic and hypotonic solutions.   Students will need about 15 minutes to set up their cups, weigh their slices and make predictions about what they think will happen.   

This is an ideal activity to occur at the end direct instruction on osmosis ( Google Slides ) .   Students then return the next day, or over a weekend, and weigh their slices again.   The slices soaked in salt water should have lost weight due to osmosis  (remind students that “salt sucks”).  The ones soaked in distilled water will gain weight, because the cells of the potato have more solutes.

You will need enough scales to weigh the potatoes.  I’ve slowly been acquiring  scales from Amazon , which are much cheaper than those sold at biological supply companies.    I have about 10 of them for a class size of 30, so there is still sharing necessary, which does increase the set-up time.   DI water can be purchased from grocery stores.

I’ve experimented with different ways to slice the potato.  If sliced in french fry shapes, students can actually feel the difference, the salty potatoes will be limp and the DI potatoes will still be crunchy.  Another option is to use baby carrots instead of potatoes, reducing one step in the set-up process of the lab.  You may also want to have students cover their cups with saran wrap, especially if you are leaving them to soak over the weekend.

You can also substitute baby carrots, which may reduce the prep time of slicing the potatoes.

There is another version of this lab that uses baby carrots. This eliminates the need to cut potatoes and the results are the same.

This lab was adapted from an AP Lab on Water Potential and Osmosis .

Grade Level: 8-10 Time Required:   15 minutes set-up (Day 1) ,  15 minutes (Day 2)

HS-LS1-2 Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms

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Make a Potato Shrink--with Saltwater

How does osmosis work?

Key Concepts

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how plants "drink" water from the soil? Water uptake in plants is quite complicated. A process called osmosis helps the water move from the soil into the plant roots—and then into the plant's cells. In this activity you will see for yourself how you can make water move with osmosis!

Most water in the ground is not pure water. It usually contains dissolved mineral salts. Animals and plants need these salts (which include calcium, magnesium, potassium and the sodium you might be familiar with as table salt) to grow, develop and stay healthy. Different water sources carry different amounts of these salts. Nature wants to balance a system that is not balanced. So, if you mix water with two different salt concentrations, the salts don't stay separated but spread out evenly through the solution until the salt concentration is the same throughout.

You'll find a similar reaction if you separate two salt solutions with a semipermeable membrane. A semipermeable membrane is a type of barrier that only lets certain particles pass through while blocking others. This type of membrane usually lets water pass through but not the salts that are dissolved in the water. In this situation, because only water can move through this membrane, the water will start moving from the area of lower salt concentration (which has more water and less salt) to the area of higher salt concentration (which has less water and more salt). This water movement will only stop once the salt and water concentration on both sides of the membrane is the same.

The process of moving water across a semipermeable membrane is called osmosis. Plants use this process to their advantage for water uptake. They create an environment of high salt concentration in their root cells that are in contact with the soil. The cell walls act as a semipermeable membrane that only let water through. Because the water outside the root cells has a lower salt concentration, water starts moving into the root cells due to osmosis. The water entering the plant fills up the cells and can travel to the rest of the plant. Osmosis, however, works in both directions. If you put a plant into water with a salt concentration that is higher than the concentration inside its cells, water will move out of the plant to balance out the concentration difference. As a result, the plant shrinks and eventually dies. You will see this effect with your own eyes in this activity using potatoes and different saltwater solutions.

• An adult helper
• Distilled water
• Measuring cup with milliliters (mL)
• Weight scale with gram measurements
• Three plastic cups or glasses
• At least three potatoes
• Apple corer. (Alternatively, you can have an adult help you use a cutting board and knife.)
• Knife (and an adult helper to help you use it)
• Pen or pencil
• Paper towels
• Graphing paper (optional)
• Other vegetable(s) or fruit (optional)

Preparation

• Prepare three different saltwater solutions. Create labels for the three cups: "0 grams," "2 grams" and "4 grams."
• To each of the cups add 100 mL of distilled water.
• Weigh out 2 grams of table salt, and add it to the cup that says "2 grams." Then weigh out 4 grams of table salt, and add it to the cup labeled "4 grams." Use a spoon to mix the solutions until all the salt is dissolved.
• Draw a table in which you can enter the starting measurements (length and diameter or width) and end measurements of each potato strip for every salt concentration (0, 2 and 4 grams).
• Prepare at least three potato cores. Carefully push the corer all the way through the potato, and remove the core carefully so the potato piece stays intact. (Alternatively, you can have an adult help cut the potato into strips that all have the same dimensions.) The potato pieces should be at least one-half inch thick and two inches long. (Ideally you will be able to prepare nine matching cores or strips so you can test three pieces in each solution to compare the results thoroughly.)
• Use a knife to carefully remove any potato skin from your cores, and rinse the cores quickly with water.
• Use a ruler to ensure each potato piece is the same size (ideally to the millimeter). Carefully use a knife to trim any pieces as needed.
• Measure the dimensions (length and diameter or width) of each potato strip in millimeters, and write the information in the table.
• Optionally, you can also weigh each potato piece and record their weights.
• Put one potato strip (or three if you made nine pieces) into each of the cups. While you do that feel the potato strips with your fingers and try to flex them a little bit. How do they feel? Are they easy to bend?
• Start your timer for 30 minutes. Let the potato strips sit in the different solutions for the whole time. What do you think will happen to the strips in each of the cups?
• After 30 minutes inspect the potato strips inside the solutions. Do you see any changes?
• Take the potato strip(s) out of the "0 grams" cup and place on a paper towel. While doing that feel the potato pieces again and try to bend them slightly. How do they feel? Are they easier or more difficult to bend than before?
• Use the ruler to measure the exact length and diameter or width (in millimeters) of each of the potato strips, and write the results in your table. W hat do you notice about the potato strip measurements? Optionally you can weigh these pieces and record their weights.
• Next take the potato strips from the "2 grams" cup, and place them on a paper towel; as you do this feel them. Measure their lengths and diameters or widths. Write your results in the table. Optionally you can weigh these pieces and record their weights. What changed about these potato strips?
• Repeat the same steps with the potato strips in the "4 grams" cup. Write your results in the table. Are your results for these similar or different compared with the other ones?
• How did the feeling of the strips compare based on what solution they were in? Why do you think this is?
• Compare the results in your table. How did the length and diameter or width of the potato strips change in each cup? What about the weights if you took them? Can you explain your results?
• Extra: If you weighed each of your strips before and after soaking them, compare the weights. How does the mass of the potato strips change in each solution?
• Extra: Leave the potato strips in the solutions for a longer time period. How do they look if you let them soak in the saltwater for one hour or overnight?
• Extra: If you have graphing paper, make a graph of your results with the salt concentration on the horizontal axis and the potato strip length or diameter after soaking on the vertical axis. Draw two lines to make your graph. For the first, connect each of the data points you found. For the second, draw a horizontal line starting at the point on the vertical axis that shows the original length of your potato strip. Based on your graph can you find a salt concentration at which the potato strip length should not change at all?
• Extra: How does the activity work with other vegetables or fruit? Try it to find out!

Observations and Results

Did your potato strips shrink and expand? At the beginning all the potato strips should have had the same length and should have all felt the same. When you put them into the different solutions, however, this starts to change. Whereas the potato strips in the "0 gram" cup probably got larger in size, the other potato strips probably got shorter after leaving them in the saltwater for 30 minutes. (If you didn't see any significant changes after 30 minutes, leave the potato strips in the saltwater solutions longer.)

The shrinking and expanding of the potato strips is due to osmosis. Potatoes are made of cells, and their cell walls act as semipermeable membranes. The 0 grams solution contains less salts and more water than the potato cells (which have more salts and less water). To balance out these concentration differences, the water from the cup moves into the potato cells. The incoming water in the potato cells pushes on the cell walls and makes the cells bigger. As a result, the whole potato strip gets bigger. The opposite is the case in the higher concentration salt solutions. 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. Due to the shrinking of the potato cells the potato strip also becomes less rigid. If you bent the potato strips, you should have noticed that those that had been in the solution with the highest amount of salt were much easier to bend than the potato strips in the water without salt.

If you made the graph you probably noticed that there is a salt concentration at which the potato strip neither expands nor shrinks. This should be where your data curve and your start length line intersect. At this point the salt concentration inside the potato cells and inside the cup are the same. Because the concentrations are already balanced no water moves.

Discard the saltwater solutions in the sink. Throw the potato strips into the compost, and clean up your workspace. You can cook with the other pieces of unused potato.

Safety First & Adult Supervision

• Follow the experiment’s instructions carefully.
• A responsible adult should assist with each experiment.
• While science experiments at home are exciting ways to learn about science hands-on, please note that some may require participants to take extra safety precautions and/or make a mess.
• Adults should handle or assist with potentially harmful materials or sharp objects.
• Adult should review each experiment and determine what the appropriate age is for the student’s participation in each activity before conducting any experiment.

Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) Supported - Disciplinary Core Ideas

This experiment was selected for Science at Home because it teaches NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas, which have broad importance within or across multiple science or engineering disciplines.

Learn more about how this experiment is based in NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas.

Physical Science (PS)1: Matter and Its Interactions

• 2-PS1-1. Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties
• 2-PS1-2. Different properties are suited to different purposes.
• 2-PS1-3. A great variety of objects can be built up from a small set of pieces.
• 5-PS1-1. Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then, the matter still exists and can be detected by other means.
• 5-PS1-2. The amount (weight) of matter is conserved when it changes form, even in transitions in which it seems to vanish.
• 5-PS1-3. Measurements of a variety of properties can be used to identify materials.
• Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways.
• Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms.
• Solids may be formed from molecules, or they may be extended structures with repeating subunits.
• Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties that can be used to identify it.
• In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others.
• In a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide.
• In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations.
• The changes of state that occur with variations in temperature or pressure can be described and predicted using these models of matter.

Grades 9-12

• HS-PS1-1. Each atom has a charged substructure consisting of a nucleus, which is made of protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons.
• HS-PS1-2. The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer electron states.
• HS-PS1-3. The structure and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces within and between atoms.
• HS-PS1-4. Stable forms of matter are those in which the electric and magnetic field energy is minimized. A stable molecule has less energy than the same set of atoms separated; one must provide at least this energy in order to take the molecule apart.
• 2-PS1-4. Heating or cooling a substance may cause changes that can be observed. Sometimes these changes are reversible, and sometimes they are not.
• 5-PS1-4. When two or more different substances are mixed. A new substance with different properties may be formed.
• 5-PS1-2. No matter what reaction or change in properties occurs, the total weight of the substances does not change.
• MS-PS1-2. Substances react chemically in characteristic ways.
• MS-PS1-3. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants.
• MS-PS1-5. The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and thus the mass does not change.
• MS-PS1-6. Some chemical reactions release energy, others store energy.
• HS-PS1-4,5. Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not energy is stored or released can be understood in terms of the collisions of molecules and the rearrangement of atoms into new molecules with consequent changes in the sum of all bond energies in the set of molecules that are matched b the changes in kinetic energy.
• HS-PS1-6. In many situations, a dynamic and condition-dependent balance between a reaction and the reverse reaction determines the numbers of all types of molecules present.
• HS-PS1-7. The fact that atoms are conserved, together with the knowledge of the chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and predict chemical reactions.

Life Science (LS)1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

• 1-Ls1-1. All organisms have external parts. Different living things use their parts in different ways. Plants have roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits that help them survive and grow.
• 4-LS1-1. Plants have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction.
• MS-LS1-1. All living things are made of cells.
• MS-LS1-2. Within cells, special structures are responsible for particular functions, and the cell membrane forms a boundary that controls what enters and leaves the cell.
• HS-LS1-1. Systems of specialized cells within organisms help them perform the essential functions of life.
• HS-LS1-3. Feedback mechanisms maintain a living system’s internal conditions within certain limits and mediate behaviors, allowing it to remain alive and functional even as external conditions change within some range.
• K-LS1-1. Plants need water and light to live and grow.
• 5-LS1-1. Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water.

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Salty Potato Experiment: Get to Know Osmosis

Christopher Leiknes , Scientist Factory

Nature always tries to equalize differences. We experience this, for instance, when someone makes pancakes and the whole house smells delicious. The aroma molecules spread throughout the air, but diffusion doesn’t only happen in the air. It happens in plants and animals as well. Try and see for yourself.

Instructions

• Cut the potato into two equal halves
• Fill two bowls wit water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to one of the bowls
• Put the potato halves into one bowl each and let them sit for 20 minutes
• Remove the botato halves and look at them. What has happened?

What happens?

The potato halves are no longer the same size. When we add salt, we create an imbalance. There’s a higher salt concentration in the water than in the potato. Water is sucked out of the potato to equalize the salt concentration. It therefore shrinks. A similar thing happens when we swim in freshwater. There’s less salt in the water than in our bodies. Water is sucked out of our bodies, and our fingers become pruned.

The opposite happens if you place an egg in vinegar. The vinegar will firstly dissolve the shell. Then water will penetrate the egg through its membrane, causing the egg to expand. There is more salt inside the egg than in the vinegar, and the opposite happens. It takes a few days.

Christopher Leiknes, Scientist Factory Nature always tries to equalize differences. We experience this, for instance, when someone makes pancakes and the whole house smells delicious. The aroma molecules spread throughout the air, but diffusion doesn’t only happen in the air. It happens in plants and animals as well. Try and see for yourself. Equipment 1….Click to read more

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Osmosis Potato Experiment: DIY Science Project Ideas for Kids

Finished with your lesson on Osmosis but still confused? Then you need to perform this simple Osmosis experiment. All you need are some potato slices and water. Learn about osmosis with potato slices in this simple osmosis potato experiment. Performing science experiments for kids will enable them to understand challenging scientific concept they are learning in a much better way.

Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Perform Osmosis Potato Experiment

Osmosis is the process by which water or any other solvent moves towards a solution with a higher concentration through a semipermeable membrane. The molecules in the solution with a lower concentration move towards the solution with a higher concentration to equalize the concentration on both sides. Osmosis is how plants absorb water and nutrients from the soil.

A simple science experiment for kids like the Osmosis Potato Experiment helps kids understand the concept easily.

What You’ll Need?

If you leave cut slices of potatoes or apples or pears outside for a while, you’ll notice that they turn brown. Why do you think this discoloration occurs? When you cut these fruits or vegetables, it leaves the cells open. An enzyme present in the cells, polyphenol oxidase, reacts with the oxygen in the air and turns the fruit brown. But can you prevent the slices from turning brown and keep them fresher for longer? Let’s learn through this osmosis potato experiment.

Here is a list of things you’ll need to perform the experiment:

• 1 medium sized potato
• 2 – 4 tablespoons of salt
• Distilled water
• 2 medium sized mason jars or drinking glasses

How to Perform Osmosis Potato Experiment?

Follow these instructions to perform the experiment:

• Step 1: Peel and cut the potatoes so you have wedges that are neither too thick nor too thin. Ensure that the potato wedges are roughly the same size. Note down the color of the freshly cut potato wedges and how they feel when you touch them.
• Step 2: Pour 200ml of distilled water into one glass or jar. 
• Step 3: Into the second glass, pour 200ml of distilled water and add 2-4 tablespoons of salt. Stir it well until the salt is completely dissolved.
• Step 4: Add two potato wedges into each of the glasses and let them sit overnight.
• Step 5: The next day, you’ll notice a difference in both the glasses. The potato wedges in the glass with the unsalted water have become bigger, while the wedges in the salted water have shrunk slightly.
• Step 6: Take the potato wedges out of the unsalted water and try bending them. You’ll notice that it is firm and breaks but doesn’t bend. Additionally, it still has a white color like a freshly cut piece of potato.
• Step 7: Now take the potato wedges out of the salted solution and try to bend them. You’ll notice the wedges have turned brown and bend easily without breaking.

What You’ll See?

Once you’ve performed the experiment, help your child understand the science behind the osmosis experiment. Here are a few questions and answers that will help children understand the behavior of the potato wedges in the two different solutions.

• Why did the potato wedges in the glass with plain distilled water become bigger?

The potato wedges expand and become bigger because of osmosis. Potatoes are made of millions of cells and the cell walls act as a semipermeable membrane. The water molecules move into the potato through this membrane to balance the concentration levels. The water moving inside the potato cells causes it to expand and become bigger. 

• Why did the potato wedges in the glass with salt water shrink?

Again it’s because of osmosis. The salt solution has a higher concentration and the water inside the potato moves through the cell walls to balance the concentration in the saltwater. Since the water moves out of the potato wedge, it shrinks and becomes smaller. This is also the reason why the potato wedge in the salt solution becomes less rigid and bends easily.

• Why did the potato wedges in the salt solution change color?

The water moving out of the potato damages it’s cells, which causes them to release an enzyme called catechol oxidase. The enzyme in the potato cells reacts with the oxygen in the air and turns the wedges brown.

Other Way to Perform Osmosis Potato Experiment for Kids

Another cool way to see osmosis in action is to perform this experiment using grapes and raisins.

• 2 – 3 raisins
• 2 – 3 fresh grapes
• 3 – 4 tablespoons of sugar

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Perform Osmosis Potato Experiment

Follow these instructions to perform this experiment:

• Step 1: Add the 3 – 4 tablespoons of sugar into one glass of water and stir it until all the sugar is dissolved. Then add 2 -3 fresh grapes into the sugar solution.
• Step 2: Add 2 – 3 raisins to the second glass of water. Allow both glasses to sit for a few hours.
• Step 3: After a few hours, you’ll notice that the raisins in the plain water have plumped up almost as if they are grapes. The raisins have a higher concentration of sugar, so the water moves into the raisins to balance the amount of sugar. This causes the raisins to expand and plump up.
• Step 4: Meanwhile the grapes in the sugar solution have shrunk and almost look like raisins. The water surrounding the grapes has a higher concentration of sugar than water in the grape cells. So the water in the grape cells moves out to balance the level of sugar. This causes the grapes to shrink in size.

Can you use other vegetables or fruits to perform this experiment? Will sliced bananas or pineapples work the same way? The only way to know is to try. Looking for more cool science experiments to try with your kids? Check our kids learning section for more fun and informative science experiments.

Frequently Asked Questions on Osmosis Potato Experiment

What is osmosis.

Osmosis is the process by which a solution with a lower concentration moves towards a solution with a higher concentration through a semipermeable membrane to balance the levels of concentration.

Why does the potato in the salt solution shrink?

Potato cells also have water in them. The water in the potato tries to equalize the concentration by moving towards the saltwater. The loss of water causes the potato to shrink and also makes it bendy and less firm.

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Effect of Salt Concentration on Osmosis in Potato Cells Lab Answers

• Effect of Salt Concentration on…

INTRODUCTION

The cell membrane surrounds the cell and is responsible for the regulation of substances within the cell. There are many processes in which substances can travel through the membrane, one being osmosis.

Osmosis is a form of passive transport (no energy required) and is a type of diffusion in liquid substances. It is the transport of water molecules through the semipermeable section of the membrane from areas of low to high solute concentration (Figure One). Osmosis helps maintain provide support in a plant cell.

Furthermore, osmosis ensures the balance of liquid levels so that the cell doesn’t burst or shrivel. Water is attracted to the salt in cells and travels to where there is more salt to balance the levels. Therefore, the three states of an environment (hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic) determine the movement of water across the membrane [1] .

For instance, if the water inside the cell is hypotonic compared to the extracellular environment, then water will travel into the cell by osmosis. When the water inside the cell is hypertonic compared to the extracellular environment, water travels out through osmosis. If both areas are isotonic then both solutions will continue to remain balanced.

To determine the effect of salt concentration has on the rate of osmosis.

If the salt solution concentration is increased, then the potato will experience a larger decrease in mass due to the occurrence of osmosis.

The independent variable that was changed was the three NaCl solutions (5%, 10% and 15%) and the distilled water (containing 0% salt).

The dependant variable was the rate of osmosis measured by the average percentage change in mass.

• 4 x 250 ml beakers
• Measuring Cylinder
• Electronic scales
• Paper towel
• 50 ml distilled water
• 50 ml 5%, 10%, 15% NaCl Solution
• Peel the potato.
• Accurately cut 4 cubes of potato that measure 2 x 2 x 2cm.
• Weigh all potato cubes individually and record data.
• Place 50 ml distilled water in a beaker.
• Place the 2 potato cubes in the distilled water.
• Leave for 20 minutes.
• Use a spoon to carefully remove the 2 potato cubes from the beaker and place them on a piece of paper towel to remove excess water.
• Record any visual observations in your table.
• Weigh the cubes and record.
• Calculate the change in mass.
• Calculate the % loss or gain in mass and record it in the table.
• Place the potato cubes in the container for disposal.
• Repeat steps 3 to 12 for 5%, 10%, 15% salt solution with a five-minute delay in-between each solution.

SAFETY AUDIT

The predicted risk level of the practical ‘Effect of salt concentration on Osmosis in Potato Cells’ is low.

RECORDING OF CHANGE IN POTATO CUBES:

Observations: The texture of the potato became spongier after the occurrence of osmosis. Water became slightly cloudy and starchier.

The overall trend showed the salt solution with higher concentration to experience a greater rate of osmosis resulting in a larger decrease in mass apart from the end of the individual graph, which would suggest a random error to have taken place. Both sets of data showed solutions with higher concentration is hypertonic compared to the potato cells meaning the water would travel to the solution because it contained more salt.

Evidently, the rate of osmosis in solutions with less salt were of a lesser extent because the water from the potato cells were less attracted. The distilled water was hypotonic compared to the potato cells that contain approximately 2% salt. Hence why both the individual and class data indicated a gain in the potato mass.

These results were represented in the negative linear trend in the graph (Figure Three). The osmosis practical posed no situation where the potato cell and solution were in an isotonic state, however, it could be predicted that no overall net movement would occur, and the potato mass would stay the same.

It is important to keep all controlled variables the same across all salt solutions to produce accurate data. If variables differ among the solutions then results would be influenced, producing inaccurate data. Various errors can be encountered in a practical way that can influence results, making them differ from the true answer.

The specific error encountered cannot be determined by the graph however the scatter and/or translation of data from the line of best fit can determine that there are errors involved. There were 10 sets of data undertaken that were all similar, comparing the individual data with the line of best fit from the class data (Figure Five) can show where random errors may have occurred.

If the entire set of data was to be moved but have a similar shape in the line of best fit, then it could be determined that a systematic error was of occurrence. The presence of random errors can be seen in the scatter graph (Figure Five), with the data from the 5% solution varying greatly and having an outlier.

A random error met was the slight difference in the size of potato cubes. A human cannot cut all potato cubes with precision, having the same weight and dimensions across all cubes. Although only a slight difference occurred with cubes ranging from 8.5 to 10.6 grams, smaller cubes would have a more efficient rate of osmosis due to their greater SA: Vol ratio and they would have a larger decrease in mass. This could be improved by using technology that can be relied on to cut all cubes with precision.

The accuracy of a human starting the stopwatch at the exact time the potatoes were submerged is unreliable because of their reaction time. The inaccuracy of time can result in some cubes being submerged in the solution for longer and allows time for more osmosis to occur, meaning the mass will be invalid.

For accurate timing, technology could be used to start and end exactly when the cubes are submerged and taken out. Another random error present was the excess water removed after the occurrence of osmosis. Drying the cubes with a paper towel could not be the same across all cubes and could remove different amounts of water from each cube.

This would change the mass because the cubes with less water soaked up, would have a heavier mass.

The systematic errors encountered in the practical included the calibration of equipment such as the stopwatch under the assumption that it was already working, causing invalid data.

Assumptions can also become a cause of a systematic error, an example being the assumption of the salt concentration in the solution as it was not tested prior to the practical and could result in consistently high/low results. Environmental effects such as the temperature of the lab, the potato cell concentration, and the potato age are systematic errors that can be present in the practical.

It was determined by testing potato cubes in salt solutions with different concentrations, that when the salt solution concentration was increased, the potato experienced a larger decrease in mass due to the occurrence of osmosis.

The hypothesis was supported by the individual data (Figure Two) and where errors occurred, the true value was supported by the class data. Some limitations in the experiment were present such as the limited equipment such as technology that could have improved the precision, resulting in inaccurate data, and the inability to repeat the experiment, lowering the validity and reliability of the data gained.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Osmosis – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics (2020). Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/osmosis (Accessed: 18 March 2020).

Diffusion and Osmosis – Difference and Comparison | Diffen (2020). Available at: https://www.diffen.com/difference/Diffusion_vs_Osmosis (Accessed: 23 March 2020).

Tonicity: hypertonic, isotonic & hypotonic solutions (article) | Khan Academy (2020). Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-transport/diffusion-and-osmosis/a/osmosis (Accessed: 23 March 2020).

(2020) Colby.edu. Available at: http://www.colby.edu/chemistry/CH142/lab/ErrorAnalysisExample.pdf (Accessed: 27 March 2020).

Figure 5, Class Data (Taken away group 3, inaccurate data)

[1] Tonicity: hypertonic, isotonic & hypotonic solutions (article) | Khan Academy (2020). Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-transport/diffusion-and-osmosis/a/osmosis (Accessed: 23 March 2020).

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This has helped me with my osmosis egg lab assignment, thank you so much

when was this published?

probably 23 march 2020 since that is when they made their bibliography (cited sources)

thank you so much for this, I had a lab report due today on this topic, and it really helped me out!

This was very neat and important information

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RAFFA K. IZDIHAR D

Osmosis experiment: potato, water, salt.

An experiment that involves potatoes, water, and salt are conducted to prove that there’s an osmosis reaction in a plant cell, which is in this case it’s a potato. Osmosis is a process where there’s a movement of molecules in dissolve component such as water from a high concentration to a lower concentration with a membrane selective permeable. It operates like a gate where it allows and separates certain things to go inside specifically dissolve substance such as water. The experiment started by putting both same sized potato to each beaker that filled with water and salt water solution. Due to osmosis water, it will flow to where there is a higher concentration of solvent and the solvent will flow to where there is less concentration. When putting the salt water, the water will flow out of the cell because it will dilute the extra solvent (salt) outside the cell. And when putting the fresh water, It will rush in because there is more solvent in the cell.

It is predicted before the experiment was conducted, the potato that was places inside the beaker with salt water will shrink due to molecules of salt solution are joined more tightly together than in fresh water. A large number of salt entered the cells of the potato, more water exits the cell ( like in the hypertonic solution) causing the cell to snivel or die causing the potato to shrink.

Proving the osmosis theory, only uses a couple of things which includes independent variables; Beaker, measuring tube, Measuring weight, Stopwatch and dependent variables; Potato, Salt and Water. The first and most important step is that to cut the potato into the same size, because at the end, it’ll show the difference of size between both potatoes. Making sure that the potato is the same size, it’s better to measure it with measuring weight to make sure that they’re in the same weight to begin with. Then, measure the amount of salt that’s going to be inserted in one of the beaker. In this case, it’s 5 tea spoon of salt which is the same as 30g. Then prepare the two beakers and fill it with 200ml of water each. Making sure that it’s the same amount of water in each beaker, using the measuring tube to be more precise. Stir the beaker until the salt is dissolve and begin to put the potatoes to each beaker at the same time while starting the timer to 60 minutes. Since it’s quite a long time, from this process it is necessary to observe both of the potatoes.

After an hour, immediately put the water inside the measuring tube to figure out the difference between both water after it was surrounded by the salt solution and also after the potato was inside the water (with no salt). Do it one by one and slowly is more effective because it’s less likely to spill. If so, it’ll ruin the entire experiment. After both water has already been measured moving on to wight the potato to find out what happened to the potato when it’s surrounded by both water and salt water. Here’s the result after the experiment was conducted:

As it was predicted before the experiment was conducted, the potato that was placed inside the beaker with salt water will shrink due to molecules of salt solution are joined more tightly together than in fresh water. A large number of salt entered the cells of the potato, more water exits the cell (like in the hypertonic solution) causing the cell to snivel or die causing the potato to shrink. In this experiment it says from the table that the mass of the potato decreases by 1g. Which is not supposed to happen in this experiment. The potato that is in the salt water should increase their volume, length and mass. This happens because the cell membrane in cells is semi permeable and the vacuole contains a salt solution. So when a cell is located in distilled water (high water concentration) water will move across the semi permeable membrane into the cell (lower water concentration) by osmosis, making the cell swell to carry extra water. If this process were done with the potato cell, it’ll more likely to increase in length, volume, and mass due to the extra water.