Title: Water potential of plant tissue

Aim: To determine the water potential of a plant tissue

Materials: white potato, distilled water, 1M sucrose solution, test tubes, syringes, cork borer, scalpel,
balance, ruler, timer, water-bath

Procedure:

1. Six (6) boiling tubes were labelled: 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 mol dm -3. 10 cm3 of each solution was
made up as stipulated in table 1 below.

Table 1: Dilution Series of sucrose

Concentration of sucrose solution/mol

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
dm-3
Volume of 1M sucrose solution/cm3 0 2 4 6 8 10

Volume of distilled water/cm3 10 8 6 4 2 0

2. Test tubes were put in a water-bath set at 30°C to equilibrate for more than 10 minutes.
3. Using a cork borer and scalpel, six potato cylinders were prepared, each being 1 cm in diameter and 3 cm
long.
4. The potato cylinders were blot dried gently with paper towel.
5. Each cylinder was weighed and then transferred to the appropriate test tube in the water bath. The
time was noted. The mass was recorded in table 2 below.
6. After 30 minutes, the cylinders were removed from the tubes in turn, in the same order in which they
were inserted. Any surplus fluid was removed quickly and gently with paper towel, using the same
procedure for each cylinder. Each cylinder was then re-weighed, and its mass recorded.
7. The change in mass and the percentage change in mass for each cylinder was calculated and recorded.
The average of the class data was recorded and used to determine the water potential of the potato
cells.
8. The calibration curve was drawn to show the percentage change in mass of the potato tissue placed in
different concentrations of sucrose solution.
9. The water potential of the potato cells was calculated.
Results:

Table 2: Average changes in the mass of potato tissues immersed in different concentrations of sucrose

Concentration
of sucrose Change in Percentage
Initial mass/g Final mass /g
solution/mol mass/g change in mass
dm-3
0.0 2.49 2.71 0.22 8.8

0.2 2.49 2.57 0.08 3.2

0.4 2.48 2.47 -0.01 -0.4

0.6 2.52 2.35 -0.17 -6.7

0.8 2.48 2.27 -0.21 -8.5

1.0 2.48 2.24 -0.24 -9.7

The concentration of sucrose solution that is isotonic to the potato is 0.38 mol dm-3. Hence, the water
potential of the potato cells is -1120 kPa.

Discussion:

Water potential is a measure of how much water a solution contains in relation to other substances;
how freely the water molecules can move, and the pressure exerted by freely moving water molecules in a
system. Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from a region of high water potential to a region of
lower water potential through a partially permeable membrane. The water potential of a solution falls
when solutes are added because water molecules cluster around the solute molecules. A solution is said to
be hypotonic when there is a lower water potential within cells than that of the solution while hypertonic is
when there is a higher water potential within cells than that of the solution. On the other hand, isotonic
refers to when there is the same water potential within cells and in the solution.

Since the first two potato cylinders experienced an increase in mass, the solutions that they were
placed in (0 mol dm-3 and 0.2 mol dm-3) are therefore hypotonic solutions to the potato. Osmosis occurred,
and water molecules moved from the solution (higher water potential region than in the cells) into the
potato cells (lower water potential than in the solution) through the potato’s cell membrane (partially
permeable membrane). Hence, potato cells gained water molecules from the solution, increasing in size
and mass.

The last four potato cylinders experienced a decrease in mass and therefore the solutions that they
were all placed in (0.4 mol dm-3, 0.6 mol dm-3, 0.8 mol dm-3 and 1.0 mol dm-3) were hypertonic solutions to
the potato. Osmosis occurred, and water molecules moved from the potato cells (higher water potential
than in the solution) into the solution (lower water potential than in the cells) through the potato’s cell
membrane (partially permeable membrane). Hence, potato cells lost water molecules to the solution,
decreasing in size and mass.

Conclusion:
The water potential of the potato is -1120 kPa.

AI Marks
Accurate definition of osmosis /2
Account for the increases in mass /3
Account for the decreases in mass /3
Determine from the graph the concentration of sucrose that is /1
isotonic to the potato
Accurately determines the water potential of the potato /1
Total /10 = /12
MM
Accurate preparation of the potato cylinders (size, etc) /3
Accurate dilutions /2
Accurate use of balance /2
Handled potato cylinders gently /1
Labelled test tubes /1
Handled test tubes appropriately /1
Accurate times for equilibration and reaction /1
Ability to follow the sequence of instructions /1
Total /12