Thin discs of fresh potato were cut and separated into batches of ten. Each batch was weighed and placed into one of the six different concentrations of salt solution. Fifteen minutes later the discs were removed, any surface liquid wiped off and then the discs were reweighed. Why would discs left in distilled water not change its mass?
2007-10-11 09:14:29 · 12 answers · asked by Salsa034848 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Why exactly would distilled water make no difference?
2007-10-11 09:26:26 · update #1
The mass would not change only if no additional water was held by those slices.
In the other solutions, absorbed salt could potentially add some mass.
The bottom line though is that the mass would change, if additional water was absorbed. Since the water was distilled, salt is not an issue.
2007-10-11 09:19:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
THe potato is already saturated with its own water content and could not absorb more...like a very wet sponge... Salt however will be absorbed out of the solution...the water already in the potato attracts it.
It would be interesting to measure how much of the salt solution concentration went down compared to how the mass of the potatos in the salt solution went up.
Also compare how the volume of the solutions changed before and after potato soaking. THe distilled water wouldn't change...but the salt water would change in direct proportion to the concentration.
2007-10-11 16:25:02 · answer #2 · answered by riverrat15666 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As far as I understand, potatoes contain a lot of water and not very much salt. When placed in a salty solution, the system will want to even out the amounts of salt and water inside and outside of the potato, so water will be drawn out of the potato in order to dilute the concentration of the salt solution and make it less salty, so that it is more like the "unsaltiness" of the potato.
The potatoes in distilled water will be at equilibrium because the potato contains water, the water contains water, and everything is already balanced out. No water will move into or out of the potato in that trial.
Hope this helps!
2007-10-11 16:33:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Question for a question.
If you put some potatoes in distilled water and some in regular tap water, would there be a difference? Why?
Sodium retains water, potatoes absorb sodium
2007-10-11 22:08:24 · answer #4 · answered by skittles2 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because they do not absorb salt. The concentration of water in the potato must be the same as the concentration of water in the container.
2007-10-11 16:18:40 · answer #5 · answered by socalcrazydiamond 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
osmosis
those dipped in salt solution has water "drained" out because water flows out into the salt solution to try to reach equilibrium.
2007-10-11 16:19:24 · answer #6 · answered by 8Curious8 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well the liquid isn't there anymore and it evaporated so then each of the batche's masses are the same because the liquid is gone.
I'm in 8th grade too
2007-10-11 16:18:02 · answer #7 · answered by KirbyRox 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
distilled water retaians no minerals
2007-10-13 04:10:10 · answer #8 · answered by martinmm 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is this supposed to be a trick question... I'm in 6th grade!
2007-10-11 20:02:52 · answer #9 · answered by amin_hosni 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it doesnt change because its the same material!
2007-10-11 16:18:42 · answer #10 · answered by Liliana 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋