Question 12

The egg is placed in a hypertonic solution.

The egg is placed in a hypertonic solution, which results in water moving out of the egg, causing it to shrink. This occurs because the concentration of solutes outside the egg is higher than that inside.

A) Hypertonic

This option is correct because a hypertonic solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the egg. When the egg is placed in such a solution, osmosis causes water to exit the egg, leading to a decrease in its size.

B) Isotonic

Option B is incorrect because an isotonic solution has equal concentrations of solutes inside and outside the egg. In this case, there would be no net movement of water, and the egg would maintain its size, which does not align with the observed outcome.

C) Hypotonic

This option is also incorrect. A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes outside the egg compared to the inside. If the egg were placed in a hypotonic solution, water would move into the egg, causing it to swell rather than shrink.

D) None of the above

This option is incorrect as well. Since the egg is indeed placed in a hypertonic solution, stating "none of the above" does not accurately reflect the situation. The existence of a hypertonic solution as an option confirms that one of the provided choices is valid.

Conclusion

The egg is definitively placed in a hypertonic solution, which directly causes the observed shrinking effect due to water exiting the egg. Other options, such as isotonic and hypotonic, do not explain the phenomenon correctly, reinforcing that hypertonic is the only accurate choice in this context.