Names:
Problem: How will salt water affect a potato
Hypothesis: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________
Experiment:
Materials:
Potato measuring spoon
2 250 mL beakers salt
graduated cylinder label
pen stirring rod
balance plastic wrap or foil
scalpel ruler
Procedure:
1. Label one beaker “water” and the other beaker “salt.” Place 100 mL of water into each beaker.
2. Place 3 tablespoons of salt into the salt beaker and stir until the salt is dissolved.
3. With a knife, cut two cubes of potato (without skin) that measure 2 cm on each side. Use caution when cutting the potato. Cut away from the body.
4. Using a balance, measure and record the mass of each potato piece. Then place one piece in the water beaker and the other in the salt beaker. Record the texture of the potato cubes before soaking (hard or soft).
5. Cover the beakers with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and allow them to sit undisturbed overnight.
6. On the second day, carefully remove the potato cubes one at a time and blot them dry on the outside. Weigh the pieces and record their masses. Observe any changes in the texture of each cube.
Data:
| Type of Water Potato Is In | Texture Before Insertion in Water | Texture After Insertion in Water | Mass Before Insertion in Water | Mass After Insertion in Water |
| Water | ||||
| Salt Water |
Conclusions:
1. Describe what happened to the mass of each cube after soaking. _____________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Describe what happened to the texture of each cube after soaking. ____________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Explain the changes you observed in terms of osmosis._____________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
