Final answer:
The initial concentration of solutes in plasma of potato cells is inferred from changes in their mass or turgidity in response to different external solute concentrations, revealing the osmotic behavior of the cells in hypertonic or hypotonic solutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The results regarding the concentration of solutes on the side of plasma in potato cells at the start of an experiment would typically indicate the initial conditions for osmotic processes. If the experiment in question involves placing potatoes in different solute concentrations and measuring their mass or turgidity afterward, it can reveal how the concentration gradients affect osmosis. For instance, a potato cell in a hypotonic solution (lower solute concentration outside the cell) would likely gain water, become turgid, and increase in mass, indicating the plasma had a higher initial solute concentration inside the cells. Conversely, in a hypertonic solution (higher solute concentration outside the cell), potato cells would lose water, become flaccid, and decrease in mass, implying the initial solute concentration inside the cells was lower than the surrounding medium.
If the experiment followed the principles of a concentration cell, as in electrochemical concentration cells using zinc(II), reaching equilibrium would mean there is no net cell potential, and the concentrations of zinc(II) would be the same in both half-cells. However, since the question pertains to potato cells, this concept would not apply directly but could serve as an analogy if we were considering ion movement across membranes.
When analyzing cells in osmotic experiments, it is important to understand the concept of tonicity. Isotonic solutions result in no net water movement, while hypertonic and hypotonic solutions lead to water leaving or entering the cell, respectively. The surface area of plasma membranes is a fixed property affecting the extent to which cells can swell or shrink in response to osmotic pressure.