MODELING OSMOSIS (LAB)

Claire Champommier October 10, 2013 Science Period 1

PROBLEM: Which way will water flow when a raw egg is placed in 250ml of vinegar? HYPOTHESIS: If a raw egg is placed in vinegar (water) and left for four days, then the water will flow from the vinegar across the membrane into the egg from a place of high concentration to low concentration causing the egg to expand. THEORY: Osmosis is the diffusion of water from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration across a selectively permeable membrane. Since the vinegar is acidic it will dissolve the eggshell making the membrane of the egg visible and making it possible for the vinegar to pass through. There is not a lot of water in the egg compared to outside the egg (74% water in egg 95% water in vinegar), so osmosis will occur because there is not an equal amount of water concentration from the outside of the egg to the inside. PROCEDURE: 1. Measure circumference of a raw egg using string and a ruler in cm. 2. Place egg in beaker and fill with 250 mL of vinegar. 3. Record observations. 4. Measure circumference for 4 days and record observations. DATA/OBSERVATIONS: DAYS 1 CIRCUMFERENCE (cm) 14.0 LIQUID LEVEL (ml) 300 OBSERVATIONS Bubbles collecting on egg shell 50 ml displacement Egg at the bottom (not floating) Bubbles coming up from the egg. Almost no shell, dissolving Smells really bad, but smells weaker than plain vinegar in container with no egg. Gooey Could see yolk Water displaced 70 ml Circumference expanded by 2.0 cm Foam on egg and at waterline Not much foam anymore Water displaced 90 ml Looks like a water balloon Tinted yellow

16.0

300

16.5

290

Champommier, Claire

Friday, October 11, 2013 8:21:49 AM Pacic Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:fb:91

TOTAL EXPANSION GROUP # = 2.5 cm AVERAGE EXPANSION CLASS = 2.6 cm AVERAGE EXPANSION (7th GRADE)= 2.7 cm 100% of the eggs (39) tested expanded.

OSMOSIS: EGG EXPANSION

C I R C U M F E R E N C E I N C M 17.0 16.0 15.0 14.0 13.0 12.0 1 2 DAYS MEASURED 3 14.0 Egg Circumference 16.0 16.5

EXPANSION COMPARISON
17.0 A V 16.5 E R 16.0 A G 15.5 E 15.0 E X 14.5 P A 14.0 N 13.5 S I O 13.0 12.5 N 16.5 16.0

14.0

Average Expansion

GROUP #7 PERIOD 1 7TH GRADE

Champommier, Claire

Friday, October 11, 2013 8:21:49 AM Pacic Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:fb:91

CONCLUSION In this lab we were investigating the effects of osmosis on an egg placed in 250 ml of vinegar to see which way the water molecules would travel into the egg or out of the egg. Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules when they travel through a semipermeable membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration (visa versa). After 4 days the water molecules had traveled through the semipermeable membrane into the egg. By the second day the eggs had grown in size and the displacement level went from 50 ml to 70 ml. All eggs in the 7th grade by the forth day had grown in expansion by about 2.7 cm compared to Period 1s eggs which had grown in expansion by about 2.6 cm. My hypothesis was that the water molecules would flow into the egg. My hypothesis was 100.0% correct. ANALYSIS When the egg was placed in the vinegar it began to dissolve. This is because the eggshell is made of calcium carbonate, and vinegar is a weak acid, so when they touched it created a chemical reaction causing the eggshell to dissolve. This revealed the semipermeable membrane allowing osmosis to occur. Period 7 group 3s egg expanded by 4.5 cm after 4 days, whereas group 7s egg expanded only by 1.1 cm after 4 days. The difference in these two groups eggs expansion is 3.4 cm. The average expansion for each day for group 3s egg was 1.125 cm. The average expansion for each day for group 7s egg was .275 cm. There is a .85 cm expansion difference between these two groups. I believe that these two groups got such different expansions because maybe group 7s egg was in the light and some of the vinegar evaporated leaving not enough for the egg to soak up. Perhaps group 3s egg had a bit more vinegar than others even though we were trying our best to be exact with measurements. Cells need water because water has nutrients cells need to function, and water keeps cells in shape (we are about 75% water).

Champommier, Claire

Friday, October 11, 2013 8:21:49 AM Pacic Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:fb:91