Watch detailed morphological changes as gummy bears undergo osmosis in real-time
Hypotonic Environment (Distilled Water): The gummy bear's internal sugar concentration (~30%) creates a significant osmotic gradient. Water molecules rapidly cross the gelatin matrix, causing dramatic swelling. The bear can increase up to 400% in volume, with visible texture changes as the gelatin network stretches.
Hypertonic Environment (Salt Water): The external salt concentration (15% NaCl) exceeds the bear's internal solute concentration. Water molecules migrate outward, causing the gelatin to contract and become denser. The bear shrinks by 40-60% and develops a firmer, more concentrated texture.
Molecular Mechanism: Gelatin forms a semi-permeable network that allows water passage but restricts larger sugar molecules. This selective permeability drives the osmotic pressure differential that powers the size changes you observe.
Real-world Timeline: In actual experiments, maximum changes occur over 12-24 hours. This simulation accelerates the process for educational visualization while maintaining accurate proportional changes.