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Shaquan placed a potato slice in salt water. After some time he noticed that the slice of potato became limp. Why did this happen to the potato slice? A) The potato was getting old. B) The potato cells lost water to the surroundings. C) The potato cells gained water from the surroundings. D) The potato cells had no exchange of materials with the environment.

User Benweet
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2 Answers

6 votes

Answer:

B) The potato cells lost water to the surroundings.

Step-by-step explanation:

User Jonbauer
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The correct answer is B). The potato cells lost water to the surroundings.

The salt water solution is hypertonic as compared to cell of a potato slice. In other words cells of potato slice is hypotonic to salt solution. Water always moves from hypotonic to hypertonic solution if they separated by semipermeable membrane. Thus, when potato slice is dipped into salt water, ex-osmosis that is water will move out of the potato slice into the salt solution. As a result into shrinking of potato slice.

User Harajyoti Das
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