Question

If dried apricots are initially placed in plain water for some time and then into a concentrated solution of sugar, they will:

• A. Burst
• B. Initially shrink and then swell
• C. Initially swell and then burst
• D. Initially swell and then shrink

Answer 1

The correct option is D

Initially swell and then shrink

When dried apricots are placed in plain water, the water outside the cell is at a higher concentration than inside. This results in movement of water through the semi-permeable cell membrane to the cell interior. As a result, the dried apricots gain water and swell up. On placing the swelled apricots in a concentrated sugar solution, water moves out of the cell since the water present inside the cell is at a higher concentration than outside. This results in the loss of water from the swollen apricots and thus they will shrink.