Difficulty: Easy

Average Score: 83%

If a hard-boiled egg is placed in a beaker of saltwater, what will happen to the egg?

Rationale

Shrivel because water will leave the egg.

When a hard-boiled egg is placed in saltwater, osmosis occurs, causing water to move out of the egg to balance the salt concentration on the outside. This results in the egg losing water and shrinking in size, or "shriveling."

A (Expand because water will move into the egg) YOUR ANSWER

This option is incorrect because the concentration of salt in the surrounding water is higher than that inside the egg. Instead of water moving into the egg, water will move out, leading to shriveling rather than expansion.

B (Shrivel because water will leave the egg) CORRECT

This is the correct answer, as the process of osmosis will cause water to exit the egg in an attempt to equalize the solute concentration between the inside of the egg and the saltwater. As a result, the egg will lose water and shrink.

C (Remain the same) YOUR ANSWER

This choice is incorrect because the presence of salt in the water creates a hypertonic environment compared to the inside of the egg. Thus, the egg cannot remain the same; it will lose water and shrink rather than maintain its size.

D (None of the above) YOUR ANSWER

This option is not correct because one of the choices (B) accurately describes what happens to the egg in saltwater. Therefore, saying "none of the above" is misleading as there is a correct outcome provided.

Conclusion

When a hard-boiled egg is placed in saltwater, it experiences osmosis, resulting in the loss of water from the egg due to the higher salt concentration outside. This leads to the egg shriveling as it cannot maintain its water content, making "shrivel because water will leave the egg" the accurate description of the process. Understanding osmosis is crucial for predicting changes in cell volume in various environments, including culinary applications like this one.

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