I predict that the potato in the lowest sugar solution
(water) will gain the most mass through osmosis, whereas the 80% sugar
concentration will lose the most mass through osmosis. I predict this
because I think that the potato chips will try to gain and lose water
between the two sides of its cell wall in order to reach an
equilibrium between them because the 80% sugar solution has a high
amount of sugar molecules, which can not diffuse through the membrane,
I think that the potato will lose water in order to make the solution
on the outside of its membrane equal to the water concentration on the
inside thus losing mass. I also predict that the other
concentrations (60%, 40%, and 20%) will lose mass, but in lower
numbers compared to the 80% sugar solution (the lower the
concentration, the higher the mass). However, since the distilled
water carries no sugar molecules, I think that the potato chip will
gain water to create a balance between the two sides of the cell wall,
making it gain mass.
