Why osmosis cannot be demonstrated by a potato osmoscope using a solution of NaCl instead of sugar, because the potato tissue is

Options

A. Permeable to Na ion
B. Permeable to Cl ion
C. Permeable to the salt solution
D. Impermeable to the salt solution

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Osmosis**: Osmosis is the movement of water molecules through a selectively permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. This process is crucial for maintaining cell turgor and overall plant health.

2. **Potato Osmoscope**: A potato osmoscope is a simple device made from a potato that can demonstrate osmosis. The potato tissue acts as a selectively permeable membrane, allowing water to move in and out while restricting the movement of solutes.

3. **Using NaCl vs. Sugar**: When using a sugar solution, the sugar molecules are larger and cannot pass through the potato cell membranes. This allows for a clear demonstration of osmosis, as water will move in response to the concentration gradient created by the sugar.

4. **Sodium Chloride (NaCl) Solution**: Sodium chloride dissociates into sodium ions (Na⁺) and chloride ions (Cl⁻) when dissolved in water. Both of these ions are small enough to pass through the potato cell membranes.

5. **Effect of High Concentration of NaCl**: If a potato osmoscope is placed in a high concentration NaCl solution, the water inside the potato cells will move out into the surrounding solution to balance the concentration of solutes. This results in plasmolysis, where the cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall, and the potato tissue loses turgor pressure.

6. **Conclusion**: Therefore, osmosis cannot be effectively demonstrated with a NaCl solution in a potato osmoscope because the potato tissue is permeable to the ions in the salt solution. Instead, a sugar solution is used to clearly illustrate the concept of osmosis.

**Final Answer**: Osmosis cannot be demonstrated by a potato osmoscope using a solution of NaCl instead of sugar because the potato tissue is permeable to the ions in the salt solution.

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