Lab 6 – Water Potential

Zachary Medwinter
AIM: To estimate the water potential of tuber (potato) tissue
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS: Sucrose solution (0.10 M, 0.25 M, 0.40 M, 0.50 M, 0.75
M, 1.0 M), distilled water, fresh potato tuber, cork borer, Petri dishes and covers, knife, ruler,
measuring cylinder, tile.
METHOD:
1) Seven Petri dishes were labelled appropriately, one for each of the sucrose solutions and
the distilled water.
2) 25cm3 of each sucrose solution was collected and poured into respective, Petri dish was
appropriately labelled. 25cm3 of water was poured into another appropriately labelled Petri dish.
3) The potatoes were peeled and cylinders of potato tissue of 3 cm in length was prepared.
Each cylinder was weighed and recorded. A millimetre scale was used for making as accurate a
length as possible. The strips were kept covered, until ready to use, by paper towel that is barely
moist (not dripping wet).
4) Completely immersed THREE potato strips in each of the dilutions, the time of
immersion was noted. Frequently agitated to thoroughly mix the contents and to get rid of any
bubbles that formed on the strips.
5) After 24 hours, the cylinders were reweighed. Noted any changes in the ‘firmness’ and
texture of the strips.
6) Calculated and recorded the change in the mass, % change in mass and the mean %
change in mass of the cylinders in at each concentration. Placed this in a suitable table.
7) Determined the water potential of the concentrations used (0.25 M and 0.75 M) by
plotting a graph of solute concentration against water potential. The table of water potential
values that was provided was used.
8) Plotted a line graph to show the mean % change in mass against water potential of the
incubating solutions. Changes in mass were proportional to changes in volume.
9) Estimated from the graph the water potential of the potato tissue by noting the external
water potential that did not cause any mean percent change in mass. Wrote down the
corresponding sucrose concentration.

OBSERVATION:
Table of water potential values (in MPa) of sucrose and potassium nitrate solutions at 30 °C.
 Molarity Water Potential (MPa)

(moles/litre) Sucrose
0.05 - 0.128

0.10 - 0.260

0.20 - 0.539

0.30 - 0.834

0.40 - 1.157

0.50 - 1.492

0.60 - 1.852

0.70 - 2.242

0.80 - 2.655

0.90 - 3.119

1.00 - 3.634

1.10 - 4.180

1.20 - 4.768

1.30 - 5.409

1.40 - 6.060

1.50 - 6.890
 RESULTS:

TABLE Showing Mean % Change in Mass at Different Water Potential of

Concentration of Sucrose Solutions.

Concentration of Water Potential Initial. Mass Final Mass Change in % Mean % change

sucrose solution (MPa) (g) (g) Mass (g) Change in Mass

(M) in mass

1.66 2.12 0.46 27.7

0.00 (water) 1.65 2.12 0.47 28.5 24.4

1.65 1.93 0.28 17

1.40 1.76 0.36 25.7

0.10 1.66 1.88 0.22 13.3 19.2

1.67 1.98 0.31 18.6

1.69 1.84 0.15 8.9

0.25 1.66 1.70 0.04 2.4 5.3

1.69 1.78 0.09 5.3

0.40

1.62 1.40 -0.22 -13.6

0.50 1.72 1.55 -0.17 -9.9 -10.4

1.66 1.53 -0.13 -7.8

0.75 1.60 1.27 -0.33 -20.6 -15.3

1.70 1.47 -0.23 -13.5

1.53 1.25 -0.28 -18.3

1.0 1.77 1.32 -0.45 -25.4 -20.4

1.54 1.27 -0.27 -17.5

DISCUSSION: Water molecules carry charges despite their small size. As a result, they can

osmotically pass through the phospholipid bilayer of plasma membranes in organisms, slipping

through tiny spaces between the phospholipids. Water moves into or out of plant cells in a

specific net motion based on the concentration of the solution in which it is immersed. This lab is

based on a phenomenon involving osmosis and water potential in plant tissue (potato strips). The

movement of free water molecules across/along a water potential gradient through a selectively

permeable membrane until evenly distributed is defined as osmosis. Water molecules in a

solution are attracted to solute molecules, resulting in the formation of various compounds in

reactions (this is due to the fact that water is a polarized molecule). Osmosis is the movement of

water molecules form a region of high-water potential to a region of low water potential, across a

partially permeable membrane. In any cell the water potential is always lower than that of water

so if a cell is immersed in water, the water will automatically move towards the cell. This will

cause the cell to get thicker and more turgid. If a cell is place in a more concentrated

solution(hypertonic) that that of any cell then water will diffuse out cell in the solution this is

because the hypertonic solution has a lower water potential that that of the cell. If water is lost

from the cell, then it will become softer and flaccid and also decrease in size due to excess water

loss. On the contrary if a solution is isotonic (of the same concentration) and a cell is placed in
the solution, water will neither move in nor out of the cell. In this case, there are an equal number

of water molecules moving across the membrane so there is not net change in the amount of

water on either side.

In this experiment a test was done to determine the water potential of a potato tissue. All the

potatoes were cut to the same length and were immersed in different sucrose solution and also

pure water.

We are causing a variety of changes to the amount of free water molecules that will be present in

the solution of the cells of potato strips by placing them in sucrose solutions of varying

concentrations, based on the osmotic movement of free water molecules from solutions of higher

water potential to solutions of lower water potential, with respect to the water potential

gradient/concentration gradient. The mobility of free water molecules is directly influenced by

the concentration of a solution. This is demonstrated by the graph, which shows that as the water

potential for the sucrose solution decreased, so did the mass of potatoes. As previously said,

there are three sorts of solutions, each with its own set of characteristics.

PRECAUTION: Ensured that all of the strips are the same length.

Ensured that each strip is removed at the right time; otherwise, the measurement

and weight after the experiment may be affected.

LIMITATION: The potato strips height exceeded that of the sucrose solution thus the strips
were not fully submerged in solutions

SOURCE OF ERROR: Results were affected since potato strips were not fully submerged in
solution.
CONCLUSION:

As the concentration of sucrose rises, the water potential decreases. The potato strips decrease in

size and length as a result of this. The potato's water potential changes depending on the sucrose

concentration, but it decreases as the sucrose concentration rises.