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Salt Solution Concentrations And Water On The Mass Of Potatoes

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The Effect of Salt Solution Concentrations and Water On the Mass of Potatoes

Research Question
What happens to the mass of the diced potatoes when submerged in varying concentrations of salt solutions and water in 10 minute intervals? This experiment will compare the mass of the diced potatoes submerged in distilled water, 1% salt solution, 5% salt solution, and 10% salt solution respectively in 10 minute intervals.

Background Information
Potatoes first originated in South America and were later introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers. Now, potatoes have become an important staple food item to have in the kitchen. They are packed with more energy than any other vegetable. A potato is made of potassium, vitamin C, fiber, starch, water, and fat. The concentration of each component is as follows: 18% starch, 78% water, 2-5%protein, and 1% fat.

Hypothesis
If the concentration of the salt solution increases then, its mass will decrease. This is because water molecules move from a higher concentration to a lower concentration in a process called osmosis. Potatoes are made of mostly water and because of the salt solution concentration the water molecules in the potato will move out of it. The higher the concentration, the more water molecules move out of the potato.

Variables
The independent variable is the salt solution concentration. The dependant variable is the mass of the potato. The control variable is the distilled water.

Control of Variables
Another controlled

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