Topic of investigation: osmolarity experiment

RQ- to what extent do different sucrose concentrations(0%,10%,30%,50% & 70%) affect the
mass of potato cylinders?
Variables:
● Independent variable : concentration of sucrose solutions
● Dependent variable: mass of potato cylinders
● Control variables: initial length of potato cylinders, volume of sucrose solutions ,
type of solution used, size of test tubes used, the amount of potato cylinders put
in the different test tubes, time of immersion of the potato cylinders,the time taken
for the potatoes in each solution to rest.

Controlled variable: How it was controlled:

Length of initial potato cylinders After removing the cylinders from the
potatoes, I used a ruler to measure
and cut each potato cylinder into
equal lengths.

Volume of solutions I used a measuring cylinder to

measure 20 ml of each solution and
then put those solutions inside
different test tubes.

Type of solution used I made sure to only use sucrose

solutions for this experiment, the only
difference is the sucrose solution for
each test tube had different molarities
for our independent variable.

The amount of potato cylinders in I immersed 3 potato cylinders in each

each test tube. test tube.

Time of immersion. I had a second partner to help me

immerse the potato cylinders for each
test tube at roughly the same time.

Size of test tubes used I made sure to use similar test tubes
for each sucrose concentration.

Time taken for potato cylinders to rest. I used different stopwatches to ime
the time taken for each potato cylinder
to rest. I made sure that the potato
cylinders had the exact same time to
rest (45 mins)

Aim of the investigation:

The aim of this investigation is to figure out how the final size of potato cylinders are affected
after they are left to rest in different sucrose concentrations(0%,10%,30%,50% & 70%).

- Background information
Due to many investigations done in the past, we know that water molecules move in and out of
plant cells due to processes like active and passive transport. Osmosis( the movement of water
from a high water potential to a place of low water potential, passing through a partially
permeable membrane) is a type of passive transport. This is because it does not depend on the
expenditure of energy in order to move water molecules into the plant cells. This is mainly
because water molecules are small enough to pass through the partially permeable membrane
of a plant cell( potato cell).Osmosis being a form of passive transport means that the water
molecules go down the concentration gradient, thus not needing any energy.
https://www.mytutor.co.uk/answers/38329/GCSE/Biology/Why-would-the-mass-of-a-piece-of-pot
ato-change-when-it-is-placed-in-different-sugar-solutions/

- Introduction
The type of osmosis seen in this experiment is non facilitated, this is because the water
molecules in the sucrose solutions are small enough to pass through the partially
permeable membrane without any assistance. The independent variable in this
experiment is the different osmolarities of the solutions. Osmolarity refers to the number
of particles of solute present in a solution, in this case, we are looking at the different
number of sucrose particles present in each solution. In this experiment we will see how
the different osmolarities of each solution affects the final mass of the potatoes.

- Hypothesis
The potatoes left in lower sucrose concentrations will have an overall larger increase in
mass. This is because the solutions with lower sucrose concentrations are hypotonic,
this means they have high water potential. In osmosis, we know that water molecules will
always move from an area with higher water potential to an area with low water potential,
which in this case will be the potato cells. This means that the potatoes will have an
increase in mass because water has mass. The exact opposite is true with the solutions
with high sucrose concentrations.

- Materials and apparatus used:

● Distilled water
● Potatoes
● 5 sucrose concentrations (0%,10%,30%,50% & 70%).
● Electronic weighing scale
● 3 stopwatches
● Ruler
● Cylindrical food borer
● 20 ml measuring cylinder
● Cutting mat
 ● Test tube racks
● 5 test tubes
● Filter papers
● Labels
● Pen
● scalpel

- Methodology
1. Using a cylindrical food borer, remove 15 potato cylinders from the potato pieces
2. Place each potato cylinders on a cutting matt
3. With the help of a ruler and a scalpel, cut each potato cylinder into 3 cm pieces.
4. Using an electronic scale and the filter paper, measure the initial mass of each
potato cylinder by placing the filter paper on the weighing scale and zeroing it
and then weigh the potato on the filter paper. Record them in a table.
5. Using a pen and labels, label each test tube with the different concentrations of
sucrose that will be tested in them (0%,10%,30%,50% & 70%).
6. Measure 20 ml of each solution and put the solutions in their respective test
tubes
7. Place three potato cylinders in each test tube at roughly the same time, making
sure that you immediately start the stopwatches after you have immersed the
cylinders in the solutions.
8. Leave the potato cylinders to rest in their solutions for 45 mins
9. After that, measure the final mass of the potato cylinders in each concentrations
10. Record your results in a table.
- Safety, ethical & environmental issues

Safety issues Ethical issues Environmental issues

This experiment has minor There are little to no ethical One of the environmental
safety issues. This is issues in this experiment. issues concerning this
because the solution used This is because this experiment is the proper
in this experiment is experiment mainly uses disposal of the solutions.
sucrose solution and potatoes, which is ethical The other environmental
sucrose not dangerous or compared to an issue is the fact that when
corrosive. It is not experiment that uses removing potato cylinders
considered not considered animals. from the potato, it is not
hazardous by the OSHA possible to use up all the
Hazard Communication potato so some will go to
Standard (29 CFR waste. This can be a
1910.1200) if used problem if the student does
properly. not dispose of the leftover
The minor safety concern potato pieces in a compost
in this experiment is the bin.
use of a scalpel, if used
incorrectly then a student
 Safety issues Ethical issues Environmental issues

could end up hurting

themself.

- Table of raw data

Sucrose concentration % Initial mass Final mass

0 1.57, 1.53, 1.49 1.68, 1.77, 1.67

10 1.54, 1.54, 1.62 1.70, 1.63, 1.62

30 1.61, 1.53, 1.53 1.27, 1.30, 1.36

50 1.53, 1.56, 1.52 1.31, 1.40, 1.33

70 1.61, 1.53, 1.53 1.49, 1.56, 1.41

- Table of processed data

Sucros Chang Percen Averag Standa

e e in tage e mean rd
concen mass change change deviati
tration (g) in in on.
% mass( mass
%) (g)

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

0 +0.11 +0.24 +0.18 +7 +15.7 +12.1 +0.18 ±0.01

10 +0.16 +0.09 0 +10.4 +5.8 0 +0.08 ±0.01

30 -0.34 -0.23 -0.17 -21 -15 -11 -0.25 ±0.01

59 -0.22 -0.16 -0.19 -14 -10 -12.5 -0.19 ±0.01

70 -0.12 -0.11 -0.13 -7.5 -6.6 -8.4 -0.12 ±0.01

- Graph
According to the graph there was little to no change in mass when the sucrose
concentration was at 0% but as the sucrose concentration gradually increased, the
mean change in mass of the potato cylinders gradually decreased. This graph slopes
downwards which indicates that the relationship between the sucrose concentration and
the mean change in mass is indirectly proportional. Overall, I believe that my procedure
was good because the data that I collected from doing the experiment backed up my
hypothesis. My hypothesis states that the higher the concentration of sucrose in the
solution, the smaller the final mass of the potato cylinders. This is backed up by my
results because as seen in the graph, there is a gradual decrease in change in mass as
the sucrose concentration increases .

There might have been some procedural errors that might have affected the results of
my investigation. The first being that we had to use 2 potatoes to get enough potato
cylinders because one was not enough. This affects my results because the two
potatoes might have been of different freshness which means that depending on which
one was fresher, a potato cylinder from one potato would have absorbed more water or
would have given out more water than the other. This affects the accuracy of my results