Carry out the following osmosis experiment:
Take four peeled potato halves and scoos each one out to make potato cups. One of these potato cups should be made from a boiled potato. Put each potato cup in a trough containing water. Now,
(a) Keep the cup A empty
(b) Put one teaspoon of sugar in cup B
(c) Put one teaspoon of salt in a cup C
(d) Put one teaspoon of sugar in the boiled potato cup D. Keep these for two hours. Then observe the four potato cups and answer the following:
(i) Explain why water gathers in the hollowed portion of B and C
(ii) Why is potato A necessary for this experiment?
(iii) Explain why water does not gather in the hollowed-out portions of A and D.

(i) Water gathers in the hollowed portion of B and C because, in both B and C cases, there is a concentration difference formed inside the trough and water in the cup (where potato scoops are placed). Therefore, the endosmosis process takes place and water enters into the hollow portion of the potato, and the potato wall acts as a semipermeable membrane.

(ii) Potato cup A is essential for this experiment as it acts as a control and provides the comparison with situations formed in potato cups B, C, and D. Cup A does not contain anything therefore it does not encourage the movement of water due to external substance.

(iii) Water does not get accumulated in the hollow portion of A and D because cup A does not possess the concentration difference required for the movement of water, thus for osmosis. 

In cup D, potato cells are boiled therefore cells become dead. These dead cells do not act as a semipermeable membrane to encourage the process of osmosis.

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Updated on: 16-Jan-2023

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