Why do grapes shrink when kept in sugar solution?

Grapes shrink when kept in a sugar solution due to the process of osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of water molecules across a semipermeable membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration. In this case, the grape skin acts as the semipermeable membrane.

When grapes are placed in a sugar solution, the concentration of sugar in the solution is higher than the concentration of sugar in the grape. As a result, water molecules move out of the grape and into the sugar solution, causing the grape to shrink.

The process of osmosis can be explained using the following analogy:

- Imagine a glass of water with a spoon in it.

- If you add a teaspoon of sugar to the water, the sugar will dissolve and the concentration of sugar in the water will increase.

- The spoon will now be in an area of lower sugar concentration than the water.

- As a result, water molecules will move from the water into the spoon, causing the spoon to become wet.

In the case of grapes, the grape skin is the spoon and the sugar solution is the water. Water molecules move from the grape into the sugar solution, causing the grape to shrink.

The amount that a grape shrinks depends on the concentration of the sugar solution. The more concentrated the sugar solution, the more water will move out of the grape and the more it will shrink.