Question

The following figure shows a plant cell immediately after it has been placed in distilled water (A) and a plant cell that has been in distilled water for several minutes (B). Determine whether each of the following statements is true or false based on this figure.
Drag True or False to the end of each statement.

Plant cell A has lower water potential than cell B.
Plant cell B is isotonic to the fluid in the beaker.
Plant cell B's water potential increased due to an increase in solutes inside the cell.
Plant cell B is at equilibrium with the fluid in the beaker.
Plant cell A has higher water potential than cell B.
Plant cell A is at equilibrium with the fluid in beaker.

Answer 1

Answer:

Plant cell A has lower water potential than cell B. True

Plant cell B is isotonic to the fluid in the beaker. True

Plant cell B's water potential increased due to an increase in solutes inside the cell. False

Plant cell B is at equilibrium with the fluid in the beaker. True

Plant cell A has higher water potential than cell B. False

Plant cell A is at equilibrium with the fluid in beaker. False

Explanation:

Plant cell A has lower water potential than cell B. True

This statement is true because the water potential of A is -2 bars while that of B is zero bars.

Plant cell B is isotonic to the fluid in the beaker. = True

Isotonic solutions have equal water potential. Since the water potential of distilled water is zero and that of plant cell B is zero as well, plant cell B is isotonic to the fluid in the beaker.

Plant cell B's water potential increased due to an increase in solutes inside the cell = False.

An increase in solute inside the cell doe not increase water potential but rather reduces it.

Plant cell B is at equilibrium with the fluid in the beaker. = True

Plant cell B is at equilibrium with the fluid in the beaker because its water potential is zero since the negative solute potential is counterbalanced by the positive pressure potential.

Plant cell A has higher water potential than cell B = False.

Plant cell A has a lower water potential of -2 bars while plant cell B has a higher water potential of zero.

Plant cell A is at equilibrium with the fluid in beaker. = False.

Plant cell A is not at equilibrium with the fluid in the beaker, rather due to its negative water potential, water will move into the cell.