Christopher Leiknes, Scientist Factory

Nature always tries to equalize differences. We experience this, for instance, when someone makes pancakes and the whole house smells delicious. The aroma molecules spread throughout the air, but diffusion doesn’t only happen in the air. It happens in plants and animals as well. Try and see for yourself.

Equipment

  • 1 potato
  • 1 bowls
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Cut the potato into two equal halves
  2. Fill two bowls wit water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to one of the bowls
  3. Put the potato halves into one bowl each and let them sit for 20 minutes
  4. Remove the botato halves and look at them. What has happened?

What happens?

The potato halves are no longer the same size. When we add salt, we create an imbalance. There’s a higher salt concentration in the water than in the potato. Water is sucked out of the potato to equalize the salt concentration. It therefore shrinks. A similar thing happens when we swim in freshwater. There’s less salt in the water than in our bodies. Water is sucked out of our bodies, and our fingers become pruned.

The opposite happens if you place an egg in vinegar. The vinegar will firstly dissolve the shell. Then water will penetrate the egg through its membrane, causing the egg to expand. There is more salt inside the egg than in the vinegar, and the opposite happens. It takes a few days.

Christopher Leiknes, Scientist Factory Nature always tries to equalize differences. We experience this, for instance, when someone makes pancakes and the whole house smells delicious. The aroma molecules spread throughout the air, but diffusion doesn’t only happen in the air. It happens in plants and animals as well. Try and see for yourself. Equipment 1….Click to read more