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Osmosis Potato Lab Report Biology 4u Essay

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Introduction
The movement of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane is the process of osmosis. If there is a solute and a solvent, each containing different concentration levels, then the water would move along its concentration gradient until each side of the membrane are equal. The water moves because the membrane is impermeable to the solute and the solute concentrations may differ on either side of the membrane. Water molecules may move in and out of the cell, but there is no net diffusion of water. Water will move in one direction or the other, and this is determined by the solute or solvents concentration levels. If the two solutions are of equal concentrations, they will be isotonic. If the concentrations are unequal, the …show more content…

Percentage Change in Mass
(Final Mass – Initial Mass ÷ Initial Mass × 100) ex. Test tube 1, 0 mol/L solute concentration: 1.6 – 1.3 ÷ 1.3 × 100 = 23.08%
Results and Observations Test Tube # | Solute Concentration (mol/L-1) | Initial MassI (g) | Final MassF (g) | Change in Mass(F – I) (g) | Percent Change in Mass(F – I) × 100 I | 1 | 0 | 1.3g | 1.6g | 0.3g | 23.08% | 2 | 0.2 | 1.1g | 1.1g | 0.0g | 0.00% | 3 | 0.4 | 1.2g | 1.0g | - 0.2g | - 16.67% | 4 | 0.6 | 1.5g | 1.2g | - 0.3g | - 20.00% | 5 | 0.8 | 1.5g | 1.1g | - 0.4g | - 26.67% | 6 | 1.0 | 1.6g | 1.3g | - 0.3g | - 18.75% |
Figure 1.2: Data Table of Results After 24H in Solute Concentration
Figure 1.2: Data Table of Results After 24H in Solute Concentration

Figure 1.3: Graph of Results After 24H in Solute Concentration
Figure 1.3: Graph of Results After 24H in Solute Concentration

As we can see in Figure’s 1.2 and 1.3, when there was no sucrose solution, the potato increased in weight. This is due to the fact that the sucrose solution was hypertonic in comparison to the potato slice. Through osmosis, the solution moved along the concentration gradient and into the potato slice making it hypotonic. When there were higher concentrations of sucrose solution, the potato decreased in weight. This is due to the fact that the potato was hypertonic in comparison to the potato. Through osmosis, sucrose from the potato moved along the concentration gradient out and into

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