The salt disappears in water because it can _________ completely in the water. the potato sank to the bottom of the plain water. Now transfer the potato to the glass containing salt water. in the salt water, the potato __________.
Answers
The salt disappears in water because it can dissolve completely in the water.
Answer:
You'll find a similar reaction if you separate two salt solutions with a semipermeable membrane. A semipermeable membrane is a type of barrier that only lets certain particles pass through while blocking others. This type of membrane usually lets water pass through but not the salts that are dissolved in the water. In this situation, because only water can move through this membrane, the water will start moving from the area of lower salt concentration (which has more water and less salt) to the area of higher salt concentration (which has less water and more salt). This water movement will only stop once the salt and water concentration on both sides of the membrane is the same.
The process of moving water across a semipermeable membrane is called osmosis. Plants use this process to their advantage for water uptake. They create an environment of high salt concentration in their root cells that are in contact with the soil. The cell walls act as a semipermeable membrane that only let water through. Because the water outside the root cells has a lower salt concentration, water starts moving into the root cells due to osmosis. The water entering the plant fills up the cells and can travel to the rest of the plant. Osmosis, however, works in both directions. If you put a plant into water with a salt concentration that is higher than the concentration inside its cells, water will move out of the plant to balance out the concentration difference. As a result the plant shrinks and eventually dies. You will see this effect with your own eyes in this activity using potatoes and different saltwater solutions.