Biology Lab Report: Osmosis

Done by: Seonlim Lee (Lynn) G.10B

Purpose

-To find the isotonic point of the potato

-To determine the weight changes after submerging the potato in different concentration of salt water for 20 minutes.

Hypothesis

– The isotonic point of the potato will be around 0.4 molecular concentration because potatoes are more moist than
other vegetables. Assuming that 0.4 mc is the isotonic point, the concentration lower than 0.4 would be a hypotonic
solution, making the weight of the potato increase. The opposite goes for the concentration higher than 0.4; the
weight of the potato would decrease.

Equipment

-3 potatoes

-Sodium Chloride (Nacl)

-6 200mL beakers

-2 electric Scales

-Hot plate and magnetic stirrer

-Steel Ruler

-Lab spatula

-Tap water

-Knife

-Stopwatch or a clock

-Petri dishes

-Cloth

Procedure

1. Cut the potato into 6 groups of 3 slices with a knife.

2. Weight the potatoes for every 6 groups on a scale.

3. Calculate the molecular weight per 200 MLs.

4. Calculate the amount of salt needed to make 6 solutions of 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 molecular concentration
then weight them on a scale using a petri dish.

5. Label the 6 beakers with the 6 kinds of molecular concentration.

6. Fill the 6 200mL beakers with 200MLs of tap water.

7. Make one solution of each of the 6 different concentrations by adding the amounts of salt that were weighted
according to the labels of the beakers using a lab spatula.

8. Put the magnet inside beaker and put that beaker on the hotplate of a magnetic stirrer then stir it with the strength
of less than 4.

9. Decide which potato to put in which concentration of water and record it.

10. Put in the corresponding potato into the breaker at the same moment.

11. Soak the potato in the beaker for 20 minutes.

12. Take out the potato at the same time and wipe it lightly on the towel.

13. Weight the potato and record the weight.

14. Find the difference of the weights according to the corresponding concentration.

15. The part that has almost no weight change is the isotonic point.

16. Graph the results

Results

Before put into solution

Molecular concentration (mole) Weight of the potato (grams)

1 37.05g

0.8 45.38g
 0.6 35.85g

0.4 32.24g

0.2 43.26g

0 27.29g

After added into solution and dapped on dry cloth

Molecular concentration (mole) Weight of the potato (grams)

1 34.18g

0.8 42.82g

0.6 34.75g

0.4 31.06g

0.2 43.71g

0 28.91g

Percentage Mass Change

Molecular concentration (mole) Percentage Mass Change (%)

1 -7.7

0.8 -5.6
 0.6 -3.1

0.4 -3.7

0.2 1.0

0 5.9

Analysis

We see that in this experiment we have gotten really good results, however we made some mistakes and it could
have been better by improving them. Our results might have been better if we reduced our human errors. When we
submerged the potato in the solution, it would be better if we submerged the potatoes in the same time to make the
results more accurate, we also could have peeled the potatoes completely in order to allow osmosis to happen faster
and more efficiently. We could have also made sure that the salt on the petri dish was completely inside the beaker
without any left, which can result an accurate molar concentration. Lastly, when we wipe the potatoes on the towel,
we should have wiped it out briefly so that the towel does not soak the water in the potato, making change in results.
Also, the equipment we used had uncertainties, which means that the equipment we used might not be accurate. If
we used a graduating cylinder, instead of a normal 250ml beaker, then we could get a more accurate result. Most
importantly, our results are not only from osmosis. It was affected by other factors such as the ionic pressure because
we used salt that ionizes water. In an experiment trying to find out the isotonic point of something, salt is not the best
substance to use. Therefore we should use another substance that would have less net movement happening due to
ionic forces, such as sugar.

Table of uncertainties:

-Uncertainties of the volume

Molar concentration (mole) 200mL Beaker

1 ±5% = ±10mL

0.8 ±5% = ±10mL

0.6 ±5% = ±10mL

0.4 ±5% = ±10mL

 0.2 ±5% = ±10mL

0 ±5% = ±10mL

-Percentage uncertainty for weights

Molar concentration (mole) Initial mass (g) Final mass (g)

1 37.05±0.027% 34.18±0.029%

0.8 45.38±0.022% 42.82±0.023%

0.6 35.85±0.028% 34.75±0.029%

0.4 32.24±0.031% 31.06±0.032%

0.2 43.26±0.023% 43.71±0.023%

0 27.29±0.036% 28.91±0.035%

Error Bars Formula:

Y axis: 0.03/percentage change*100

X axis: 0.01/amount of salt*100+5/100

Conclusion

The objective of the experiment is to find out the isotonic point of the potato by determining the effects of diffusion and
osmosis. Diffusion is the net movement of molecules down their concentration gradient and osmosis is a specialized
case of diffusion that involves the passive transport of water. In osmosis water moves through a selectively
permeable membrane from a region of its higher concentration to a region of its lower concentration, and this shows
the movement of water. The isotonic point is the moment when water molecules move at equal rates from one to the
other, with no net osmosis. In order to fulfill the object of the experiment, potato was cut into 6 groups of 3 pieces and
then it was scaled. Then we submerged the potato slices inside the beakers which contained water with different
concentration of dissolved salt. Molar concentration was calculated by dividing 58.44 with 5 because we needed a
200mL solution and 58.44 is the concentration of 1L solution. We calculated the amount of salt needed for each
different solution by multiplying 11.688 to 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1. After 20 minutes, we took out the potato and
scaled it. We converted the mass to the percentage to graph it by using this formula: (initial mass – final mass) /
(initial mass) x 100%.

Based on the graph, solutions that had 0-0.4 molecular concentration are hypotonic since it has the lower
concentration of solutes, which means that the potato cells will gain water and swell. Solutions that had 0.42-1
molecular concentration are hypertonic because it has the higher concentration of solutes, which means that potato
cells lose water and shrivel in this environment. The graph that was made based on the results supports my
hypothesis that the isotonic point will be around 0.4. The slope of this graph is around -24.5 and this experiment is
really important because it shows osmosis, which allows living cells to take or give out water. Without osmosis, cells
will die and there will be no plants because water is crucial for them. Without plants there will be no organism as they
are the primary producers of our food web. Future experiments might find the saturation point which is a point when
the concentration is so high that osmosis does not increase any further. This experiment can be used to make sports
drinks because concentration is really important in isotonic sports drinks. As both concentrations are equal in isotonic
drinks and our body cells, there is effective osmosis, and therefore cells absorb water and it allows the minerals to get
into your body quickly.