Shrink a Potato with Osmosis!

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how plants take up water from the soil? Water uptake in plants is quite complex and involves a process called osmosis. Osmosis makes the water from the soil move into the roots of the plant. But what drives the water from the soil into the plant cells? In this activity, you will do an experiment with potatoes to find out!

Credits

Materials

• Distilled water
• Measuring cup
• Several potatoes
• Apple corer or cork borer. Alternatively, you can use a cutting board and knife.
• Table salt
• Scale
• Plastic cups or glasses (3)
• Spoon
• Ruler
• Paper
• Pen
• Timer
• Paper towels
• Optional: Graphing paper
• Optional: Scale