I had three pieces of potato. I put one in a 5% solution, second one in a 1%
solution, and the third one in a .1%. The 5% solution turned the potato black. The 1% solution had no effect. The .1% turned the potato blue.
How does the concentration of a solution influence the amount of diffusion?
The concentration of a solution refers to the amount of solute (in this case, the solution you used) dissolved in a certain amount of solvent (in this case, water). It is often measured as a percentage or as a ratio.
In this scenario, you observed different effects on the pieces of potato when placed in solutions with different concentrations. The 5% solution turned the potato black, the 1% solution had no effect, and the 0.1% solution turned the potato blue.
The concentration of a solution can influence the amount of diffusion because diffusion is the movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. This movement occurs to achieve equilibrium, where the concentration is equal throughout the system.
In the case of the potato pieces and the solutions, the movement of substances within the potato is influenced by the concentration of the solution surrounding it. When the concentration of the solution is higher than the concentration inside the potato (as in the 5% solution), there is a higher concentration gradient, leading to more diffusion of solute particles into the potato. This increased diffusion might cause the potato to absorb more solute than it would at a lower concentration, which in turn may result in a change in color or other observable effects.
On the other hand, when the concentration of the solution is lower than the concentration inside the potato (as in the 1% solution), there is less of a concentration gradient, thus reducing the rate of diffusion. Therefore, the potato does not experience a noticeable effect.
Regarding the blue color observed with the 0.1% solution, it is likely due to a specific compound in the solution that causes the potato cells to react and display that color. Without further information about the specific solution used, it is challenging to determine the exact cause of the color change.
In conclusion, the concentration of a solution influences the amount of diffusion by creating a concentration gradient. This concentration gradient affects the movement of solute particles and determines the extent of their diffusion into or out of the potato cells.