LAB REPORT ON THE EFFECT OF OSMOSIS ON POTATO

TISSUE

Table showing initial and final mass of the effect of osmosis in a

potato for different students (+/- 0.01 g)
% of M.D (g) A.W (g) D.J (g) M.S (g) C.G (g) A.M (g) A.A (g) A.E (g) M.C (g)
NaCl
I F I F I F I F I F I F I F I F I F
0 2.8 3 2.0 2 3.8 3.8 1.0 1.0 1.4 1.4 1.9 1.9 3.1 3.1 2.5 2.6 4.1 4.1
2 5 6 7 3 7 0 3 4 7 1 5 6 6 1 9
1 2.8 2.8 2.1 1.9 3.6 3.6 0.9 0.9 1.4 1.3 2.3 2.2 3.2 3.1 2.7 2.7 4.0 4.0
2 8 7 8 8 7 5 4 0 6 0 6 5 4 3 7 7 3
5 2.8 2.3 2.0 1.7 3.8 3.4 0.9 0.8 1.4 1.2 2.2 1.8 3.2 3 2.5 2.3 4.0 3.6
1 0 1 7 7 4 8 4 2 4 0 0 8 3 8 8
10 2.8 2.1 2.0 1.8 3.7 3.0 1.0 0.8 1.3 1.1 2.2 1.8 3.3 3.3 2.6 2.4 4.1 3.5
2 9 5 3 0 9 7 9 9 5 5 2 3 2 2 0 1
20 2.8 2.3 2.0 1.7 3.8 3.3 1.0 0.7 1.4 1.1 2.2 1.8 3.3 3.2 2.5 2.4 3.7 3.1
5 1 6 2 3 7 4 9 2 3 4 6 5 4 9 0 4 8
* My results

Table showing % change in mass of potato at different

concentrations of NaCl (+/-1.1g)

% of M.D A.W D.J M.S C.G A.M A.A A.E M.C

NaCl (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g)
0 6,38 -2,44 0,26 3,88 2,14 1,55 1,29 3.91 1.95
1 2,13 -8,76 -0,27 -1,05 -2,86 -1,74 -3,38 1.46 -0.98
5 -18,15 -11,44 -11,11 -14,29 -12,67 -18,2 -7,62 -5.93 -11.76
10 -22,34 -10,73 -16,49 -16,82 -17,27 -18,75 -0,3 -8.40 -14.84
20 -18,95 -16,5 -12,01 -24,04 -20,42 -16,96 -3,28 -7.34 -14.97

* My results

Uncertainties:

Upper bound: 1 x -1.06 = -1.06

Lower bound: 1 x-1.04= -1.04

-1.06 – 1.04 = -2.1

-2.1/2 = -1.05, Answer is rounded to 1.1

Table showing the average percentage change in mass of potato of

the class results (+/-g)

% Average % change in mass

0 2,1
1 -1,72
5 -12,35
10 -13,99
 20 -14,94

Analysis of results:

From the graph above I can say that the more the percentage
concentration of NaCl there is, the grater the change in mass. “The
movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane from
an area of high water potential (low solute concentration) to an
area of low water potential (high solute concentration)” 1.
Following this definition we understand that, as the
concentration of salt was greater in the solution than in the
potato, water passed form the potato to the high concentration
of solute in order to give a balance to the salinity of the NaCl in
comparison with the potato. For the concentration of NaCl of
0% understood by distilled water, that is the substance with no
salinity, water was absorbed by the potato, that’s why the
potato weight more at the end, as the potato didn’t lose any
water by osmosis. The more salt the solution has the more
water the potato will lose, consequently the less weight it will
have.

1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis
Conclusion:

From this lab I can conclude that the % concentration of NaCl

increases, the rate of osmosis in the potato tubes also increases .

As there is more osmosis in the potato cells, more water they will
lose and the cells lose more weight.

As the % concentrations of NaCl are no not increasing at a constant

rate the relation between them and the % change in mass is harder
to see in the Graph as they are 0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%. The graph
shows an inverse correlation

When there is no concentration of solute, the potato will absorb little

amount of water, that’s why results are not lose of water but little
water is gained.

Evaluation:
During this lab the principal and most important error that I had was
the removal of the potatoes of the solutions at the same times. It
was really hard as the beakers were small so the my hand didn’t
reach the potato tubes easily. When more time in the solution more
osmosis takes place, making the results inaccurate. A way for
improving the method for next time is using bigger beakers, using
tongs to remove the potato tubes from the NaCl and finally
receiving help from another student so the tubes can be taken out
faster and in a more similar time.
Maria Angela Suarez