1. Farming and watering that is done in very dry regions of the world leaves salt that
accumulates in the soil as water evaporates. Based on what you know about
osmosis, why does an increase in soil salinity (salt concentration) have negative
effects on plants?
2. Explain what is happening in the graph. Why would the rate of
diffusion level off over time?
Temperature, can cause effect. As Lower temperatures can,
decrease the energy in the molecules, making the rate of
diffusion decrease and level out.
Rate of Diffusion
The increase in soil salinity may cause the plants water uptake. This may
cause the plant to drown itself and become limp.
Time
3. A common way to eat strawberries is to sprinkle sugar on them to make them sweeter.
Explain how this could happen using your knowledge of osmosis.
The sugar on the cut strawberry causes a bit a water to leach out of the fruit.
Once the sugar and water mix a syrup forms sweeting the strawberry.
4. Using the concept of osmosis, explain why water is sprayed over produce in
the grocery store. How might this change the appearance of produce?
The water travels through the cell wall of the plant cells, and into the
plant cells. This plumps them up, making them look fresh and crisp rather
than withered and nasty, all hence to osmosis.
5. Suppose you made a salad in the morning, added salt and other seasonings, and then put the salad in
the refrigerator. When you take the salad out of the fridge for dinner, the lettuce looked wilted and
there was water at the bottom of the bowl. Use principles of osmosis to explain what happened.
This event occurs because the salt poured into the salad the night of causes the water to escape
the leaves of lettuce, without water they wilt, and into the bottom of the bowl. Creating and
hypertonic environment for the plant cells with the lettuce.