What is the effect on salt mass of a potato?

You're asking about the effect of salt on the mass of a potato. This is a bit of a tricky question, as it depends on what you're doing with the salt and the potato.

Here's a breakdown of different scenarios:

1. Simply Placing Salt on a Potato:

* No significant effect on mass: If you just sprinkle salt on the surface of a potato, it won't change the potato's mass significantly. The salt will remain on the surface, not being absorbed into the potato in any meaningful way.

2. Soaking a Potato in Salt Water:

* Possible mass increase: If you soak a potato in salt water, some salt might diffuse into the potato, causing a slight increase in mass. This is due to osmosis, where water moves from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration (in this case, from the salt water to the inside of the potato).

* Possible mass decrease: However, if the salt concentration is too high, it could cause the potato to lose water due to osmosis, resulting in a decrease in mass. This is called plasmolysis.

3. Cooking a Potato with Salt:

* Slight mass decrease: When you cook a potato with salt, some water will be lost through evaporation, causing a small decrease in mass. The salt itself doesn't add a significant amount of mass to the potato.

4. Salting and Drying a Potato:

* Significant mass decrease: If you salt a potato and then dry it out, you'll get a significant mass reduction. The salt will dehydrate the potato, causing it to shrink and lose water weight.

In summary: The effect of salt on the mass of a potato is dependent on the specific scenario. Generally, a small amount of salt added to a potato won't significantly affect its mass, but if the salt concentration is high or if the potato is exposed to heat, dehydration can cause mass loss.