Names: _______________________________________ Section: _________ Group No.:_______ Table 1.

Observations in the Potato (Before Soaking in Water)

Date: _____________
Color Flexibility Smell
OSMOSIS WITH POTATO SLICES
Experiment #3

Ever cut up some apples or potato slices just to see them turn funky colors and not be as fresh as they
could be? What can you do to protect these fruits and vegetables from this happening? What will keep
potatoes (or other vegetables) fresher: soaking it in regular water or salt water?

These questions will be explained by the concept of osmosis. Osmosis is a property of matter that deals
with diffusion; a spreading out of particles from high concentration to low concentration. However,
instead of stuff in air, osmosis describes the motion of water going through something. To understand Table 2. Observations in the Potato (Soaked in Water)
this concept further, do the experiment below.
Color Flexibility Smell
Materials:
A potato, salt, water (if you have distilled water, that kind is best), a couple of drinking glasses.
Procedure:

 Fill two glasses with water

 In one of the glasses add 2-3 tablespoons of salt, and stir it in

 Slice up a potato into French fry-like pieces

Table 3. Observations in the Potato (Soaked in Saltwater)
 Make your observations on these pieces: pay attention to color, how flexible it is, smell. Write
your answers in Table 1. Color Flexibility Smell

 Take a guess about how you think these slices might change by putting them into the different
types of water (water and saltwater)

 Dunk the pieces in the water, and then let them sit overnight in it

 Remove the pieces onto a plate and make your final observations. Write your answers in Table
2 and Table 3.
Questions:

1. Are there any differences in the potatoes soaked in water and saltwater? How did you spot
them?

2. Which do you think is the control group? the experimental group?

3. What is the concept behind the differences in the soaked potatoes from water and saltwater?
Explain.

DOCUMENTATIONS: (Must include pictures of the experiment/set-up and while the members are
working)