Question

Two potato cubes each 1 cm3 in size, were placed separately in two containers (A and B), the container A having water and the other (B) containing concentrated sugar solution. After 24 hours when the cubes were examined, those placed in water were found to be firm and had increased slightly in size and those placed in concentrated sugar solution were found to be soft and somewhat decreased in size. Use the above information to answer the questions that follow:

Name and define the physical process being investigated in this experiment.

Answer 1

The process being investigated is osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane from a more dilute solution (with a lower solute concentration) to a less dilute solution (with a higher solute concentration).