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1. Introduction
1.1 Aim
To determine how different in concentrations of NaCl salt solution (Sodium chloride
solution) can affect the length of the potato chips through osmosis.
1.2 Background
Osmosis is the fundamental study in Biology. It is one of the four methods of moving
particles across membranes. All cells use the osmosis principle to move in and out of
themselves. This is due to the differences in concentration of substances dissolved in the
water. In an aqueous solution, the higher the concentration of the solute, the lower the
concentration of water molecules.
Water molecules move from higher region of concentration (less solute concentration) to a
lower region of concentration (more solute concentration). The purpose of osmosis occurs
is to get equal and balance concentration from both sides of the membrane. This is what
called as an equilibrium state. When it reaches equilibrium state, the net movement of
water molecules is zero.1
A
Figure 1. A. Plant cell placed in pure water. This cell will become inflated because the water outside the cell is
at a higher concentration than the water inside the cell. As water moves in by osmosis the vacuole fills up and
presses out against the cell wall. B. The same cell in water equal to the concentration inside the cell. This cell
has no overall gain or loss of water because whatever moves out will be replaced by water moving in. C. A cell
placed in a salt solution. This cell will lose water as the water moves by diffusion from higher to lower
concentration. The cytoplasm of this cell has shrunken in a process called plasmolysis.
1.4 Significance
The experiment is conducted by the students to study the mechanism of water diffusion
into and out of the cells by using the method of immersion of the potato strips into
different concentrations of NaCl salt solution. At the end of the experiment, we could get
the basic idea of what literally osmosis means to us and help botanists around the world to
understand this as well in botany or perhaps herbalogy.
1.6 Hypothesis
The higher the concentration of NaCl salt solution, the shorter the length of the potato
strips at the end of the experiment. This is because hypertonic solution has relatively
higher concentration of solute compared to the concentration of water molecules, thus
water molecules from the fruit move outside the cell and enter the hypertonic solution.
2. Methodology
2.1 Variables
Variables
Independent variable;
The concentration of NaCl salt solution (%)
Dependent variable;
The final length of potato strips (cm)
Controlled variable;
1) The initial length of potato strips
2)The same stock of potatoes
3)The type of salt solution used
4) The cork borer
Table 2.1 shows the variables and how to control the variables
Quantity
Potatoes
3
Distilled water
1
Different concentration of NaCl salt solutions 5
which are 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, 9%.
Scalpel
1
White tiles
1
Plastic wrap`(roll)
1
Paper towel (roll)
1
Cork borer (of one sized)
1
100 ml beakers
6
15 cm ruler
1
Digital stopwatch
1
Table 2.2 shows apparatus & materials and the quantity it is used.
Risk Assessment: All materials and apparatus are safe to used except for scalper. It is very
sharp and should be taken a great care when use it.
2.3 Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
3. Results
3.1 Qualitative analysis
Concentratio
n of NaCl
salt solutions
(%)
Textures
Shape
Length
Colour
Flexibility
Distilled
water
Turgid
Long
Pale yellow
Very firm
Flaccid
Shorter
Light yellow
Firm
Flaccid
Wellcylindrical
shaped
Cylindrical
shaped
Shrank
Shorter
Yellow
Wilt
Flaccid
Shrank
Shorter
Yellow
Wilt
Flaccid
Shrank
Shorter
Yellow
Wilt
Extremely
Extremely
Shorter
Yellow
Extremely
Flaccid
shrank
wilt
Table 3.1 shows qualitative observations with different concentration of salt solutions,
textures, shapes, lengths, colours and flexibilities of the potato strips.
Average
length
(cm)
Change in
length
(cm)
Distilled water
Initial
length
(cm)
3.0
3.2
3.1
3.1
3.1
+0.1
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
0.0
3.0
2.9
2.9
2.8
2.9
-0.1
3.0
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
-0.2
3.0
2.7
2.7
2.8
2.7
-0.3
3.0
2.6
2.7
2.6
2.6
-0.4
Table 3.2 shows the change in mass of three potato strips placed in various concentrations of
NaCl salt solutions.
The data collected above had to be processed in order to draw meaningful conclusions
from it. Calculating the change in mass and then converting it to a percentage was one of
the most basic calculations that helped identify the difference between the initial and
final masses. Calculating the mean was also important because the trials have slightly
different values each, but for the graph, only one set of values that represented the average
of the data points was needed.2
Sample calculation:
1) Change in length (cm) = Average length Initial length
a) 3.1 3.0 = +0.1
b) 3.0 3.0 = 0.0
2 (Source: Momina Amjad (August 7, 2014) Osmosis, the effect of increasing
sucrose solution on the mass of potato chips,
https://www.scribd.com/doc/236096716/IB-Biology-IA-Osmosis)
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c)
d)
e)
f)
a)
+0.1
100 =3.33
3.0
b)
0.0
100 =0.00
3.0
c)
0.1
100 =3.33
3.0
d)
0.2
100 =6.67
3.0
e)
0.3
100 =10.0
3.0
f)
0.4
100 =13.3
3.0
3) Mean
The mean is the average of the numbers: a calculated "central" value of a set of numbers. To
calculate: Just add up all the numbers, then divide by how many numbers there are.3 The
mean of the potato strips can be calculated by summing up all the average values and divide
by six (because we used 6 different concentrations of NaCl salt solutions).
4) Uncertainty can be calculated by taking the smallest division of an apparatus used and
divide it by 2, then multiply it by how many times it is used.
a) 15 cm ruler. The smallest unit for the ruler is 0.1cm
Uncertainty of the ruler =
0.1
3= 0.15 cm
2
Graph 1
Based on the graph 1 above, the relationship between the concentrations of NaCl salt
solutions and the change in length of potato strips (cm) is inversely proportional. The change
in length of the potato strips is determined by difference in final length of potato strips and
initial length of potato strips. When the potato strips are immersed in distilled water, the
change in length of potato strips shows a positive value. The water molecules from the
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distilled water diffuse into the cell via osmosis which also indicates that the distilled water is
hypotonic to the potato strips cells.
As the concentration of the salt solution increases, the change in length potato strips seems to
decrease. For example, when the potato strips are immersed in salt solution (3% of NaCl salt
solution), the change in length of potato strips shows a negative value. The water molecules
from the cell diffuse into the salt solution via osmosis. This indicates that the salt solution
used is hypertonic to the potato strips cell.
It goes the same for the 5%, 7% and 9% NaCl salt solutions, the change in length of potato
strips will show a negative value because they are hypertonic solutions.
4. Evaluation
4.1 Limitations
Limitations and weaknesses
The cork borer and the scalpel are rusty
Improvement(s)
If the rust gets into your skin and into your
veins, it can cause tetanus. So, we use hand
gloves.
Time laps
Air movement
Table 4.1 shows the limitations and weaknesses and ways to improve it.
4.2 Conclusion
Based on the graph collected from the experiment, the line of the graph shows that the
relationship between the concentrations of the salt solution and the change in length of potato
strips is inversely proportional. The change in length of the potato strips is determined by
taking the difference between final length of potato strips and initial length of potato strips.
When the potato strips are immersed in distilled water, the change in length of the potato
strips shows a positive value. There is a movement of water molecules from the distilled
water into the potato strips cells. This tells us that the distilled water is hypotonic to the
potato cells. Distilled water used is a hypotonic solution. The cells become plasmolysed.
Contradict to the potato strips that are immersed in higher concentrations of solute in the salt
solution, the change in length of the potato strips shows a negative value. The movement of
water molecules is from the potato cells into the salt solution. As the concentration of the salt
solution increases, more water molecules diffuse out from the potato cells into the salt
solution via osmosis. This concludes that 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 9% NaCl salt solutions used
are hypertonic solutions. The cells become deplasmolysed.
This seems like the experiment supports the hypothesis that the water molecules move from a
higher region of water molecules to a lower region of water molecules within semi-permeable
membranes.
Apart from that, the qualitative results consolidate the hypothesis from the table 3.1. The
potato strips in hypotonic solution is rather more turgid while the potato strips in hypertonic
solutions is flaccid and a bit squashy.
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List of References
1. Andrew A. and David M. 2014, Oxford IB Diploma Program Biology, Oxford UK,
Oxford University Press
2. Momina Amjad (August 7, 2014), Osmosis, the effect of increasing sucrose solution
on the mass of potato chips, retrieved from
https://www.scribd.com/doc/236096716/IB-Biology-IA-Osmosis
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