Osmosis: The Science Behind Potato Swelling

Osmosis is a biological process that involves the movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. In the case of a boiled potato placed in a hypotonic solution, the potato will absorb water and swell due to osmosis.

When a boiled potato is placed in a hypotonic solution, the concentration of solute inside the potato is higher than the hypotonic solution. This concentration gradient causes water to move from the solution into the potato through osmosis. As a result, the potato absorbs water and swells in size.

This phenomenon is guided by the principle of tonicity, which describes the ability of a solution to cause a cell to gain or lose water. In this case, the hypotonic solution has a lower solute concentration compared to the potato, leading to the movement of water into the potato and causing it to swell.