Osmosis Lab Report

İren Doğru 10/C

19.12.2020

Introduction:
Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules from a hypotonic solution, a region of low

solute concentration, to a hypertonic solution, a region of high solute concentration through

a semi-permeable membrane without the usage of Adenine Triphosphate (ATP). The semi-

permeable membrane allows some small molecules to pass in and out of the membrane

according to the cell’s requirements. Osmotic flow is linked to the innate tendency to

minimize the concentration difference between two different substances, aligning the

concentration gradient. In organisms, the osmosis phenomenon occurs in order to maintain

homeostasis, which is the general internal balance of a living body. This constant flow of

water molecules in and out of the cell is essential in order to keep the cell’s volume, surface

tension and integrity at an adequate level. 1 Osmosis can be used in various ways in our Daily

life. Food preservation is just one of them. Food preservation exists to prevent the spoiledge

of products like pickle jars and jams for as long as possible. Since pickles and jams contain

high levels of salt and sugar, they combine to create a high concentration gradient inside the

food’s cell. As they combine to form a high concentration gradient this result in the cell

losing water since sugar and salt take a huge place in the cell. At the end losing huge

amounts of water will result in prohibiting the enzymes in the cell to decompose.

1
Goodhead, Lauren. “Measuring Osmosis and Hemolysis of Red Blood Cells.” PubMed.gov,
US National Library of Medicine, 1 June 2017,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28526694.
Background Information:

Tonicity is a measure of the effective osmotic pressure gradient; the water potential of two

solutions separated by a semipermeable cell membrane. In other words, tonicity is the

relative concentration of solutes dissolved in solution which determine the direction and

extent of diffusion.2 As the concentration of solutes in an extracellular solution increases, the

osmotic pressure, which is called the cell’s tendency to give up water molecules, increases as

well. This results in plasmolysis which occurs when the cell shrinks after losing water through

osmosis. On the other hand, turgor pressure, a cell’s tendency to take in water, decreases as

the concentration of solutes in an extracellular solution increases. This leads to

deplasmolysis which includes the cell, swelling up due to water intake and occasionally

bursting. Therefore, it can be said that osmotic pressure and turgor pressure are inversely

proportional.

Many factors like the size of the potatoes, the temperature, strinning duration effect

osmosis. However in this experiement we are changing and examining the after effect of

different molarities of sucrose solutions. This experiment has five different range of sucrose

solutions “(in mol L-1): 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00.” With the concentration of sucrose

solutions increasing the change in mass will also increase. We can say that they are directly

proportional. Sucrose being an hypertonic solution meaning having a higher amount of

particles dissolved in solution. The issue in this experiment is to find the relationship

between different ratio of moles and changing osmotic pressures that can be seen from the

percent changes that will be given on the graph. A cell placed in a hypotonic solution will

2
“Tonicity.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Dec. 2020,
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonicity. 
gain water while a cell placed in a hypertonic solution will lose water. The change

percentage of the masses of the potato cubes will increase as the molarity of the solutions

increase until the concentration gradient is closed between the potato cube and the

solution. The opposite of this situation goes for the potatoes cubes placed in hypertonic

solutions. The potato cells will lose water in order to balance the concentration gradient

between the two sites. This will result in the potato cube decreasing in mass due to water

loss.

Aim:

To investigate the osmolarity of potatoes by placing cubes off potato in varying solutions of

sucrose, C12H22O11 (table sugar).

Research Question:

What is the effect of different concentrated solutions with varying molarities on the amount

of osmosis that occurs in potatoes?

Hypothesis:

Different rate of sucrose solutions (in mol L-1): 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00. have different

effects on identical potatoes

Variables:

İndependent variables Dependent variables Controlled variables

  The range of the  % change  Size of the potato
sucrose solutions cubes
 Mass of the potatoes  The final mass  Time

 osmolarity  The stirring duration

 The ph of the solution

 temperature

Method:
15 identical 1.5 cm3 cubes of potato where cuts on weight in grams to decimal places. Five

solutions of sucrose were prepared in the following range (in mol L-1): 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75,

1.00. Three potato cubes were placed in each solution for two hours, stirring every 15

minutes. The cubes were then retrieved, patted dry on blotting paper and weighed again

Materials:
 Balance (± 0.1g)
 1.5 cm3 of potato (15 cubes)
 Knife
 5 solutions of sucrose (in mol L-1): 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00.
 Blotting paper x 15
 Timer
 Graduated pipet
 Potato cubes (1.5 cm3) x 15
 Stop watch

Results:
 Potato sample İnitial mass (g) Final mass (g)
Sucrose 0.00 1 5.11 6.00
2 5.15 6.07
3 5.20 5.15
Total (mean) 5.15 5.74
Change 0.59
%change 11.45

Potato sample İnitial mass (g) Final mass (g)

Sucrose 0.25 1 6.01 4.98
2 6.07 5.95
3 7.10 7.00
Total (mean) 6.39 5.98
change -0.41
%change -0.4

Potato sample İnitial mass Final mass (g)

Sucrose 0.50 1 6.12 5.10
2 7.03 6.01
3 5.11 5.03
Total (mean) 6.08 5.38
change -0.7
%change -11.51

Potato sample İnitial mass Final mass

Sucrose 0.75 1 5.03 3.96
2 7.10 4.90
3 7.03 5.13
Total (mean) 6.38 4.66
change -1.72
%change -26.95

Potato sample İnitial mass Final mass

Sucrose 1.00 1 5.00 4.03
2 5.04 3.95
3 6.10 5.03
Total (mean) 5.38 4.33
change -1.05
%change -19.51
 %change
15 11.5
10

5
-0.4
0
0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00
-5

-10 -11.51

-15
-19.51
-20

-25 -26.95

-30

%change

Limitations:
With the graph showing decimal numbers some uncertanities may ocur with the overall

process being rounded up and estimated as well as some random errors ocurring. The date

could have been collected more carefully and the measurements could have been taken

more precisely in order to overcome the errors such as the consistency of the blotting

papers etc.
Conclusion:
It can be seen in the graph the potatoes which had been submerged in hypotonic solutions

ended up having a change percentage with a positive value, meaning that they increased in

mass, resulting from gaining water in order to balance the concentration gradient. However,

the solutions whose osmolarities exceeded the osmotic potential, (which is approximately

0.27), were hypertonic3. When the potato cubes were submerged into these hypertonic

solutions, it can be seen in the graph that their mass change percentages had a negative

value, meaning that the potato cube decreased in mass as a result of losing water.

Theoretically, the mass percentage change in the potato cubes that were submerged into

the solution with 1.00 molL-1 sucrose solution , should have an even lower percentage than

the one of the potatoes bathed in the solution with 1.00 molL-1 sucrose solution. This is

because the 1.00 molL-1 solution is more hypertonic than the 1.00 molL -1 solution, due to the

fact that it creates a larger concentration gradient, which increases osmotic pressure .

Despite the inconsistencies created by a number of random errors, it could be said that the

data collected supports the initial hypothesis of the experiment. Therefore, the hypothesis is

accepted.

References:
3
Hinckley, T. M. “Water Relations of Drought Hardy Shrubs: Osmotic Potential and Stomatal Reactivity.” Wiley
Online Library, John/Wiley and Sons, Inc, Apr. 1980, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1365-
3040.ep11580919.
 Allan, Richard. Biozone. 2nd Edition ed., Biozone International Ltd, 2014
 Hinckley, T. M. “Water Relations of Drought Hardy Shrubs: Osmotic Potential and
Stomatal Reactivity.” Wiley Online Library, John/Wiley and Sons, Inc, Apr. 1980,
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1365-3040.ep11580919
 “Tonicity.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Dec. 2020,
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonicity. 
 Goodhead, Lauren. “Measuring Osmosis and Hemolysis of Red Blood Cells.”
PubMed.gov, US National Library of Medicine, 1 June 2017,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28526694.