Shriveled Potatoes

So for Christmas Grandma gave us a book entitled 365 Science Experiments.  While flipping through the other day, I found a quick and easy one that we could do in an afternoon with no preparation.  It is experiment #64 "Shriveled Potatoes".

"Materials: 1 Potato, 2 Saucers, Chopping Board, Knife, Salt, Water"

You take two saucers (or small plates) fill both with tap water, and add salt to one of them.

Then you cut the Potato in half and put one half into each solution.

You then let it sit and absorb the water.  The book says you should see a difference after about 30 minutes.

30 minutes later, this is what our potatoes looked like.

The following morning, this is what our potatoes looked like.

So something went wrong.  Did we add an improper amount of salt?  It doesn't say how much, and I don't think you can add too--we saturated the solution.  I think perhaps why we didn't get the same results, is because we used red potatoes instead of of regular russet potatoes.  So as soon as we get through this bag of potatoes, we'll try again with a russet.  We'll let you know how it goes...