Osmosis: Potato and Sucrose Solution
Investigation of Factors Affect Osmosis in Potatoes
Aim
The aim of the following experiment was to investigate the effect of varying the concentration of sucrose solution on osmosis in a potato.
Preliminary Experiments
One preliminary experiment was done before the main experiment. From the preliminary, we were trying to find out how osmosis actually occurred in potatoes, and gave us a vague idea on what the main experiment would be like.
This preliminary will aid my prediction, which is stated below. The following apparatus was used for the preliminary:
* 1 large potato (skin intact)
* 3 boiling tubes
* Set of cork borers
* Scalpel
* Balance (accurate to 2 decimal places)
* Distilled water
* 0.5M sucrose solution
* 1.0M sucrose solution
* Dropping pipette
* Boiling tube rack
* Measuring cylinder (accurate to 1cm3)
* White tile
Take a large uncooked potato, with the skin still on, and with the cork borer, cut out three "tubes" of potato. Do this onto a white tile, so you don't cut your fingers or wreck the bench. Take a ruler and measure these tubes, and, if necessary, cut off any excess until they are all the same length. The same potato must be used; otherwise it will not be a fair test (because different potatoes may have different osmotic properties).
To ensure the experiment is as safe as possible, ensure you don't injure yourself using the cork borers. Also, we are using a sharp knife, so caution is needed there. Even though the sucrose solutions aren't poisonous, we are not 100% sure, therefore no sucrose solution will enter us.
Weigh the three tubes of potato, and record down the mass. Take the three boiling tubes, and fill 1 with 10cm3 of 1M sucrose solution, one with 10cm3 0.5M sucrose solution and one with 10cm3 of distilled water. Label each tube clearly, then drop each potato tube into each boiling tube, one tube per boiling tube.
Aim
The aim of the following experiment was to investigate the effect of varying the concentration of sucrose solution on osmosis in a potato.
Preliminary Experiments
One preliminary experiment was done before the main experiment. From the preliminary, we were trying to find out how osmosis actually occurred in potatoes, and gave us a vague idea on what the main experiment would be like.
This preliminary will aid my prediction, which is stated below. The following apparatus was used for the preliminary:
* 1 large potato (skin intact)
* 3 boiling tubes
* Set of cork borers
* Scalpel
* Balance (accurate to 2 decimal places)
* Distilled water
* 0.5M sucrose solution
* 1.0M sucrose solution
* Dropping pipette
* Boiling tube rack
* Measuring cylinder (accurate to 1cm3)
* White tile
Take a large uncooked potato, with the skin still on, and with the cork borer, cut out three "tubes" of potato. Do this onto a white tile, so you don't cut your fingers or wreck the bench. Take a ruler and measure these tubes, and, if necessary, cut off any excess until they are all the same length. The same potato must be used; otherwise it will not be a fair test (because different potatoes may have different osmotic properties).
To ensure the experiment is as safe as possible, ensure you don't injure yourself using the cork borers. Also, we are using a sharp knife, so caution is needed there. Even though the sucrose solutions aren't poisonous, we are not 100% sure, therefore no sucrose solution will enter us.
Weigh the three tubes of potato, and record down the mass. Take the three boiling tubes, and fill 1 with 10cm3 of 1M sucrose solution, one with 10cm3 0.5M sucrose solution and one with 10cm3 of distilled water. Label each tube clearly, then drop each potato tube into each boiling tube, one tube per boiling tube.