In the lunch hour at my school I conducted a quick experiment according to the guidlines of a colleuge, before I taught my class the principal behind osmosis. After conducting the experiment (using potato chips in testubes) I gained the following results after 15 minutes (other results took too much time for the lunch hour):

Conc. Salt-----------------%age change in
Solution (molars).---------mass of potato.

2.0........................- 31.015 (cont.)
1.75.......................- 25.146 (cont.)
1.50.......................- 22.287
1.25.......................- 16.428
1.0........................- 11.569
0.75.......................- 6.71 (cont.)
0.5........................- 1.867
0.25.......................0
0.0........................+ 6.43 (cont.)

The question that my class would like to pose, is if I were to change the solution (from saline) to something everyday that they would be more familiar with, e.g. vinegar or tobasco sauce - how would these results vary?



[This message has been edited by Proff Truemann (edited February 22, 2001).]