1. HYPOTHESIS
Dehydrated
potato
When it's hot, your body perspires (aka
sweats) as a natural means to
thermoregulate itself. All of that
perspiration that's cooling you down
primarily consists of water. The more you
perspire the more water comes from your
body and the less hydrated you become.
If you're not putting fluids back in your
body, eventually you'll become
dehydrated. Dehydration is an excessive Date of publication
lose of body fluids.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Potato (small or medium sizes will
work best)
Dishes or Saucers (deep enough to
hold about a half-inch of water)
Mariale Nava #14
Cutting board Sofy Menchaca #12
Mayra Aenlle #1
Knife Ana Sofia Salazar #18
Diana E. Chapa #4
Salt (about 2 tablespoons)
Water
Piece of paper and pen SCIENCE FAIR
2. STEP-BY-STEP RESULT
PROCEDURE The salt water is acting as a dehydrator by
drawing moisture out of the potato. As the water
1. Take your paper and mark it with the word “salted”
is drawn out of the potato, the potato begins to
and place it on a flat surface, such a table.
get dehydrated. As it dehydrates, the potato
shrivels.
2. Place one of the dishes on the paper and the other
right next to it.
3. Fill each dish with an equal amount of water (the
water level should be high enough to fill the dish,
but not so high that it overflows).
4. Stir two tablespoons of salt into the dish marked
“salted”.
5. Using your knife and your cutting board, cut the
potato in half. Make sure you have the potato so
you have two equal size pieces.
6. Place one-half of the potato, flat side down, into the
dish market “salted”.
7. Place the other half of the potato, flat side down,
into the dish with plain water.
8. Let the potatoes sit in the dishes undisturbed for
about an hour.
OBSERVATIONS
What do you think will happen to the potato that's
bathing in the plain water? What will happen to
the potato that's bathing in the salted water?
What if you were to use something other than
salt, such as vinegar? What would be the effects
on the potato? How about if you were to use a
different vegetable?
