Answer :
Final answer:
The weight of the potato can be calculated using the concept of mass conservation. Assuming the initial weight of the potato is M grams, the new weight after the water percentage is reduced to 98% would be 0.9902M grams.
Explanation:
The weight of the potato can be calculated by using the concept of mass conservation. We know that originally, 99% of the potato's mass is water. Let's assume the initial mass of the potato is M grams. Then, the amount of water in the potato is 0.99M grams, and the remaining mass, which is made up of other components, is 0.01M grams. When the water percentage is reduced to 98%, the new mass of water in the potato is 0.98*(0.99M) grams. The new mass of the remaining components is 0.02M grams. We can now calculate the weight of the potato by adding the masses of water and remaining components:
Total new mass = (0.98*(0.99M) grams) + (0.02M grams)
Total new mass = 0.9702M grams + 0.02M grams
Total new mass = 0.9902M grams
Therefore, after the water percentage is lowered to 98%, the weight of the potato would be 0.9902 times its initial weight.