Final answer:
Color is not affected by the branching of a polysaccharide. Branching influences solubility, gelling behavior, and viscosity, but not the color, as seen in cellulose, which is unbranched and does not bind to iodine to produce a color.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the physical properties of polysaccharides, branching affects various attributes such as solubility, gelling behavior, and viscosity, but color is not typically affected by the branching of a polysaccharide. This is evident in cellulose which has a linear structure allowing for extensive hydrogen bonding leading to strong, insoluble fibers that do not interact with iodine to form a colored product, unlike branched polymers such as amylopectin. In contrast, gelling behavior is closely associated with branching; for example, the highly branched structure of amylopectin allows for the storage of glucose yet prevents it from being too readily accessible for metabolism.
Solubility can be influenced by branching in that the more branched a polymer is, the less densely it packs, potentially increasing its interaction with water or other solvents. However, the physical property of viscosity is indeed impacted by a polymer's branching; viscous polysaccharides can form a gel-like consistency in the presence of water, which is a trait of some branched polysaccharides like some forms of starch.