What salty or fresh water does to plant and animal cells
Grade 9 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Use this
Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). One beaker holding one plant cell, drawn as a stiff wall with the membrane just inside it.
Ari's class views an onion skin cell that holds 2% solute in 7% salt water. How is the solution described?
- Isotonic, because both sides of the membrane contain some solute
- Hypotonic, because the cell's 2% is less than 7%
- Hypertonic, because salt moves into the cell
- Hypertonic, because 7% is more solute than the cell's 2%
A teacher's shell-less egg holds 10% solute. Esme sees it in a 10% sugar solution. How is the solution described?
Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). One beaker holding one shell-less egg (the shell was dissolved in vinegar by the teacher beforehand), drawn as a round outline. Inside the egg: 10% solute. The beaker: sugar solution, 10% solute. Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). One beaker holding one shell-less egg (the shell was dissolved in vinegar by the teacher beforehand), drawn as a round outline. Inside the egg: 10% solute. The beaker: sugar solution, 10% solute. Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). 10% solute sugar solution, 10% solute One beaker holding one shell-less egg (the shell was dissolved in vinegar by the teacher beforehand), drawn as a round outline. - Hypotonic, because sugar can move into the egg
- Hypertonic, because the egg holds 10% solute
- Isotonic, because the solution matches the egg's 10%
- Isotonic, because no water moves in or out
“model data, not to scale; the shell was dissolved in vinegar by the teacher beforehand” Jun watches a teacher place the shell-less egg in corn syrup. What happens to its mass, and why?
Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). One beaker holding one shell-less egg (the shell was dissolved in vinegar by the teacher beforehand), drawn as a round outline. Inside the egg: 10% solute. The beaker: corn syrup, 40% solute. Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). One beaker holding one shell-less egg (the shell was dissolved in vinegar by the teacher beforehand), drawn as a round outline. Inside the egg: 10% solute. The beaker: corn syrup, 40% solute. shell-less egg 10% solute corn syrup 40% solute - It rises, because water moves toward less solute
- It rises, because sugar moves into the egg
- It falls, because water moves out of the egg
- It stays the same, because the membrane blocks water
Kira puts a celery piece in fresh water. What happens to its cells?
Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). One beaker holding one plant cell, drawn as a stiff wall with the membrane just inside it. Inside the cell: 2% solute. The beaker: fresh water, 0% solute. The cell is a celery cell. Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). One beaker holding one plant cell, drawn as a stiff wall with the membrane just inside it. Inside the cell: 2% solute. The beaker: fresh water, 0% solute. The cell is a celery cell. Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale) fresh water 0% solute 2% solute stiff wall membrane celery cell one plant cell - Water enters until the wall resists, and they turn firm
- Water enters until the cells swell and burst
- Salt enters until the cells are firm and full
- Water leaves, so the cells go limp and soft
Luz puts a crisp lettuce leaf in 8% salt water. What happens to its cells?
Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). One beaker holding one plant cell, drawn as a stiff wall with the membrane just inside it. Inside the cell: 2% solute. The beaker: salt water, 8% solute. The cell is a lettuce leaf cell. Beaker drawing (model data, not to scale). One beaker holding one plant cell, drawn as a stiff wall with the membrane just inside it. Inside the cell: 2% solute. The beaker: salt water, 8% solute. The cell is a lettuce leaf cell. model data, not to scale 2% solute salt water, 8% solute lettuce leaf cell - Water leaves, the membrane pulls from the wall, the leaf wilts
- Nothing changes, because the wall blocks water from moving
- Water enters and the cells burst open, so the leaf tears
- Water enters the cells, so the leaf turns crisper
Use the table
Lab card for one potato strip (model data, a class reads about a teacher's test)
Salt in the solution (%) Start mass (g) End mass (g) 10 5.0 4.0 Percent change = (end mass - start mass) / start mass x 100.
Milo reads the card for one potato strip. What is the percent change in mass, and what moved?
- A 20% decrease, because water left the strip
- A 1% decrease, because water left the strip
- A 20% increase, because salt moved into the strip
- A 25% decrease, because water left the strip
Noah reads the card for a teacher's shell-less egg in plain water. What is the percent change in mass, and why?
- A 9.1% increase, because water entered the egg
- A 6% increase, because water entered the egg
- A 10% decrease, because water moved toward less solute
- A 10% increase, because water entered the egg
Ren reads a graph of potato strips soaked in salt solutions. At about what salt percent is the solution isotonic to the potato cells?
Graph of potato strips in salt solutions (model data). Salt in the solution (%) across, from 0 to 10, a mark every 2. Change in mass (%) up, from −20 to 10, a mark every 5. The line for the potato strips joins (0, 10), (2, 5), (6, −5), (10, −15) with straight pieces. Graph of potato strips in salt solutions (model data). Salt in the solution (%) across, from 0 to 10, a mark every 2. Change in mass (%) up, from −20 to 10, a mark every 5. The line for the potato strips joins (0, 10), (2, 5), (6, −5), (10, −15) with straight pieces. Graph of potato strips in salt solutions (model data) 0 2 4 6 8 10 −20 −15 −10 −5 5 10 Salt in the solution (%) Change in mass (%) potato strips - 0%, where the strips gained the most
- 10%, where the line ends
- 4%, where no water moves in or out
- 4%, where the change in mass is 0
Tala uses the graph of potato strips. What happens to the cells in the 1% salt solution, and why?
Graph of potato strips in salt solutions (model data). Salt in the solution (%) across, from 0 to 6, a mark every 1. Change in mass (%) up, from −20 to 20, a mark every 5. The line for the potato strips joins (0, 15), (1, 10), (4, −5), (6, −15) with straight pieces. Graph of potato strips in salt solutions (model data). Salt in the solution (%) across, from 0 to 6, a mark every 1. Change in mass (%) up, from −20 to 20, a mark every 5. The line for the potato strips joins (0, 15), (1, 10), (4, −5), (6, −15) with straight pieces. potato strips in salt solutions (model data) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 −20 −15 −10 −5 5 10 15 20 Salt in the solution (%) Change in mass (%) potato strips - Water leaves, because water moves toward less solute
- Water enters, because the 1% solution is hypotonic to the cells
- Salt enters, which raises the mass by 10%
- Water enters, because the cells are hypotonic to the 1% solution
Zee reads the point at 10% salt on the graph. What does that point show?
Graph of potato strips in salt solutions (model data). Salt in the solution (%) across, from 0 to 10, a mark every 2. Change in mass (%) up, from −30 to 20, a mark every 10. The line for the potato strips joins (0, 20), (2, 10), (6, −10), (10, −30) with straight pieces. Graph of potato strips in salt solutions (model data). Salt in the solution (%) across, from 0 to 10, a mark every 2. Change in mass (%) up, from −30 to 20, a mark every 10. The line for the potato strips joins (0, 20), (2, 10), (6, −10), (10, −30) with straight pieces. potato strips in salt solutions (model data) 0 2 4 6 8 10 −30 −20 −10 10 20 Salt in the solution (%) Change in mass (%) potato strips - The strip lost 30% of its mass, because salt left
- The 10% solution is hypotonic, so water left
- The strip lost 30% of its mass, because water left
- The strip gained 30% of its mass, because water entered

