Question

Ramya took a large sized peeled off potato and cut one side of it so as to make it flat. She also bore a cavity from the other side in such a way that a very thin base is left intact on the flat side. She poured concentrated sugar solution inside the cavity of the tuber and the level of sugar solution in the cavity was marked with the help of a pin. Then she placed the potato on its flat cut end in a petridish half full water. (i) Give the technical terms for the solutions present inside and outside the potato. (ii) State the reason for increase in the level of sugar solution in the potato.

Answer 1

Osmosis is a spontaneous movement of a solvent (water) through a cellular membrane from higher concentration to lower concentration to create equilibrium. In case of potato, the solute which is water is high in concentration outside the potato and low inside in the potato cavity. By the process of osmosis, water moves into the cavity and increases the level of sugar solution.

So the correct answer is 'Potato absorbs water from dish'.