When the solute has been added to the solution, it water potential will

Options

A. Increases
B. Decreases
C. Remain unchanged
D. First increases then decreases

Answer

To solve the question "When the solute has been added to the solution, what will happen to its water potential?", we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Water Potential**: Water potential (Ψ) is a measure of the potential energy in water and is influenced by solute concentration and pressure. It determines the direction of water movement.

2. **Pure Water as a Reference**: Pure water has the highest water potential, which is defined as zero (Ψ = 0). This is because it contains the maximum number of free water molecules available for movement.

3. **Adding Solute to Water**: When solute is added to pure water, the concentration of solute molecules increases. This means that there are fewer free water molecules available because some of the water molecules are now interacting with solute molecules.

4. **Effect on Water Potential**: As solute concentration increases, the number of free water molecules decreases. This results in a decrease in water potential because water potential is inversely related to solute concentration. The more solute that is added, the lower the water potential becomes.

5. **Conclusion**: Therefore, when solute is added to a solution, the water potential will decrease.

### Final Answer:
When solute is added to the solution, its water potential will **decrease**.