Final answer:
The potato slices would feel most turgid in a hypotonic solution because this causes water to enter the cells through osmosis, increasing turgor pressure and making them rigid. In contrast, isotonic or hypertonic solutions can lead to flaccid or plasmolyzed cells due to less water movement into the cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The potato slices would feel most turgid when they are in a hypotonic solution. Turgidity is the state of being swollen due to high fluid content within a plant cell, typically resulting from the cell being in a hypotonic environment, meaning the solution outside the cell has a lower concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cell. This scenario causes water to move into the cell through osmosis, leading to an increase in turgor pressure within the plant cell.
When plant cells such as those in a potato are placed in a hypotonic solution, the high turgor pressure helps the cell maintain a rigid structure. If plant cells are placed in an isotonic or hypertonic solution, where the solute concentration is equal to or higher than the inside of the cell, water will not move into the cell as readily, and the cell can become flaccid or plasmolyzed. This demonstrates a plant's physiological reaction to varying tonicity, and it's crucial for maintaining plant structure and function.