Lab Report on Osmosis and Potato Slices

Lab Report on Osmosis and Potato Slices

The potatoes immersed with pure water and salted water became apparently physically different after 24 hours. The result was totally the opposite of the prediction I made prior to the lab. The potato slice influenced by freshwater appeared rigid and brittle since there was more salt within the potato than the surrounding water. Water moves into the potato by hypotonic solution due to the net movement of water molecules from areas of high concentration of water to areas of low concentration of water. This caused the potato cells to swell, thus gave its slightly larger size. On the other hand, the potato slice that has been soaking in saltwater became flexible in texture and soft on the touch. The mechanism behind these quality differences is driven by a passive transport called osmosis, which is the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane (potato slice) driven by concentration difference on the two sides of the membrane. The water has a tendency to move towards higher concentrations of dissolved chemicals. As in the case of this lab, water moved from the inside of the cell to the outside because the water outside the cell was saltier than the water inside. When the water left the surface of the potato slice, a hypertonic solution occurred that made the membrane dehydrate and cells to shrink. As more and more cells lost water, the potato slice could be felt as soft and bendable. In conclusion, the potato slice soaked in hypotonic freshwater solution appeared crisp, which indicated its freshness. We can protect fruits and vegetables by putting them under a pure aquatic condition.