Question

Shazia removed the outer hard shells of two different eggs. She then placed one egg in pure water and the other egg in a saturated solution of sucrose. What change is she likely to observe in the eggs after a few hours? Explain it.

Hint:

Osmosis occurs from a region of higher water concentration to lower water concentration through a semipermeable membrane. Hypotonic solution causes swelling, while hypertonic solution causes shrinkage.

Answer 1

Step 1: After removing the hard shell, the egg is surrounded by a semipermeable membrane.
Step 2: When the egg is placed in pure water, the surrounding solution is hypotonic compared to the egg contents. Water enters the egg through the membrane by osmosis, causing the egg to swell.
Step 3: When the egg is placed in a saturated sucrose solution, the surrounding solution is hypertonic. Water moves out of the egg by osmosis, causing the egg to shrink.
Step 4: These changes occur due to the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane depending on the concentration difference.