A group of students are conducting an experiment. Since potatoes contain both sugar and water, the students use them in the experiment. The students cut six equal cubes of potato and weigh them. They place the six cubes into six different beakers containing different concentrations of sugar solutions, then weigh each potato cube after 24 hours and calculate the percent change in mass. The graph below shows the result of their experiment. Which of the statements below is a valid conclusion about this experiment? a The higher the concentration of sugar, the more likely the potato will gain mass. b The higher the concentration of sugar, the more likely the water concentration will be at equilibrium. c The lower the concentration of sugar, the less likely the potato will gain mass. d The lower the concentration of sugar, the more likely the potato will gain mass. Question 21

Answer 1

Based on the experiment described, the students are investigating how different concentrations of sugar solutions affect the mass of potato cubes due to osmosis. When potato cubes are placed in a sugar solution, water moves in or out of the potato cells depending on the concentration of the solution relative to the concentration of solutes (sugars) inside the potato.

Given this understanding, let's analyze the statements:

a. The higher the concentration of sugar, the more likely the potato will gain mass.
This statement is incorrect because when placed in a high concentration sugar solution, water will move out of the potato cubes (where there is a lower concentration of sugar), causing the potatoes to lose mass, not gain it.

b. The higher the concentration of sugar, the more likely the water concentration will be at equilibrium.
While high sugar concentration does aim for water equilibrium, this statement is vague and not directly related to the changes in mass observed.

c. The lower the concentration of sugar, the less likely the potato will gain mass.
This statement is also incorrect. In a lower concentration sugar solution, it is more likely that the potato will gain mass as water moves into the potato from the surrounding solution (where there is a higher concentration of water relative to sugar).

d. The lower the concentration of sugar, the more likely the potato will gain mass.
This statement is correct. When the potato cubes are placed in a lower concentration sugar solution, water moves into the potato cells, causing them to gain mass.

Thus, the valid conclusion about this experiment is:

d. The lower the concentration of sugar, the more likely the potato will gain mass.