Biology

Osmosis Laboratory Report

Date:
February, 12 2015
Group 10-01

1.
2.
3.
4.

Me mb e r n a me :
Kandit Kerdwiriyaskul (Kan) no.5
Thanaphat Panapongvasin (Gear) no.9
Vetaka Prajakchaikul (Ting) no.12
Pichayatida Srisakulpinyo (Jean) no.16
Introduction:
Our cells have plenty of ways to transport molecules. One of the ways to
transport is OSMOSIS. Osmosis is type of diffusion that occurs for water only. The water
moves toward from high water concentration to low water concentration and it also
moves from low solute concentration to high solute concentration. There are two types
of transport. First, passive transport is a transport that does not require energy to move
down the concentration gradient. There are two proteins that involve in this transport are
channel protein, and carrier protein. Secondly, active transport requires energy to move
against concentration gradient. There is only one protein that involve in this transport is
carrier protein and it requires energy to move against the concentration gradient.

Purpose:
To understand osmosis by using all of the senses to record what is changing during the
experiment.

Hypothesis:
If we put a piece of potato in distilled water, a piece of potato size will be increase
If we put a piece of potato in concentrated salt solution, a piece of potato size will be
decrease.

Material List:

 2 Beakers
Electronic Balance
Ruler
Distilled water
Concentrated salt water
2 Potatoes
Calculator
Weighing paper
Gloves
Lab Coat
Goggles
Procedure:
Day 1:
1. Collect materials for your group
2. Use your ruler to find the height, length, and width of each piece of potatoes
3. Calculate the volume of your piece of potatoes (LxWxH)
4. Use the electronic balance to find the mass of your piece of potatoes. Remember to
lay down a piece of weighing paper and set to zero.
5. Record descriptive observations in your notebook about piece of potatoes prior to the
experiment.
6. Fill your beaker half way with distilled water. Put one of your pieces of potatoes into
the beaker. Set the beaker aside for one day.
7. Fill your 2nd beaker with concentrated salt solution halfway. Put your 2nd piece of
potato into that beaker. Set beaker aside for one day.
Day 2:
1. Collect groups beakers with piece of potatoes.
2. Carefully remove piece of potatoes from the beakers.
3. Repeat steps 2-5 from Day 1
4. Calculate the percent change in the size of each piece of potato.
-Percent change in height (Height after- Height before/ Height before x 100% =?)
-Percent change in width
-Percent change in length Percent change in volume
-Percent change in mass

Data Tables:

To compare length (cm), Width (cm), Height (cm) and volume (cm) between a piece of
potato before soaking in distilled water and a piece of potato after soaking in distilled
water, and it also to compare length (cm), Width (cm), Height (cm) and volume (cm)
between a piece of potato before soaking in salt water and a piece of potato after
soaking in salt water.
For potatoes volume
Potato 1
Dimensions

Initial:
Before
soaking

Potato 2

Final:
Initial:
After soaking in Before
distilled water
soaking

Final:
After soaking
in salt water

Length (cm)

2.1 cm

2.3 cm

2.6 cm

2.3 cm

Width (cm)

1.6 cm

1.9 cm

1.6 cm

1.5 cm

Height (cm)

1.4 cm

1.6 cm

2.1 cm

1.9 cm

Volume
(L x W x H)
(cm3)

4.704 cm3

6.992 cm3

8.064 cm3

6.55 cm3

To compare character of a piece of potato between before soaking in distilled water and
after soaking in distilled water, and to compare character of a piece of potato between
before soaking in salt water and after soaking in salt water.
For potatoes description
Potato 1

Potato 2

Descriptive observation before soaking in

distilled water:
Shape: Trapezoid
Texture: Light yellow, a little bit rough and
slippery.

Descriptive observation before soaking in

salt water:
Shape: Trapezoid
Texture: Light yellow, a little bit rough and
slippery.

Descriptive observations after soaking in

distilled water:
Shape: Trapezoid
Texture: More light yellow, potato size has
an increase a little bit.

Descriptive observations after soaking in

salt water:
Shape: Trapezoid
Texture: Dark yellow (little bit black),
potato size has decrease down a little bit.

For this chart, to compare a piece of potato mass between before soaking in distilled
water and after soaking in distilled water. And it also to compare a piece of potato mass
between before soaking in salt water and after soaking in salt water.
For potatoes mass
Potato 1
Mass in (g)

Potato mass
(g)

Initial before
soaking
5.25 g

Potato 2

Final after
soaking in
distilled water

Initial before
soaking

6.11 g

Final after
soaking in salt
water

5.56 g

4.6 g

For this chart to compare and show, how a piece of potato 1 change after it was soaking
in distilled water, and how a piece of potato 2 changes after it was soaking in salt water.
For potatoes percent change
Potato

Potato 1

Potato 2

% change in height

14.29%

-11.54%

% change in width

18.75%

-6.25%

% change in length

9.5%

-9.5%

% change in volume

48.6%

-18.77%

% change in mass

85%

-17.27%

Bar Graph of Results:

The change of piece of potatoes, a piece potato1 has change its length from 2.1 cm to
2.3 cm, width from 1.6 cm to 1.9 cm, height from 1.4 cm to 1.6 cm, and it have change

its volume from 4.704 cm3 to 6.992 cm3. A piece potato2 has change its length from 2.6
cm to 2.3 cm, width from 1.6 cm to 1.5 cm, height from 2.1 cm to 1.9 cm, and it have
change its volume from 8.064 cm3 to 6.55 cm3.

To show and compare a piece of potato mass between before soaking in distilled water
and after soaking in distilled water which change from 5.25 g to 6.11 g. And to compare
a piece of potato between soaking in salt water and after soaking in salt water which it
change from 5.56 g to 4.6 g.

Analyzing Results:

1. The shape of the potato is still the same as the original, but it is a little bit bigger. Its
tighter than the original too. The texture is light yellow because the solute in the potato
has higher concentration than the distilled water, so water goes inside the potato and it
makes potato to looks a little bit bigger due to osmosis.
2. After potato being soaked in salt water, potato shrinks because of hypertonic solution.
Therefore, outside of the membrane has higher solute than inside the potato, so the
molecules move out to the outside of the potato to make it balance.
3. Passive transport is a transport that does not require energy to transport molecules
because they move down the concentration gradient. Active transport is opposite of
passive transport because they move against the concentration gradient, to move
against concentration gradient require energy. Diffusion is a transport that moves
through permeable membrane without using energy, but it need to be small and
uncharged to be able to cross the membrane. Osmosis is a transport of water through
aquaporin in channel proteins. The concentration gradient role is to make the both side
has the same solution.
4. The permeable membrane means that it allows the small and uncharged molecules to
pass through the membrane to enter or exit the cell without using proteins. It effects, it
makes molecules that small and uncharged molecules can enter easily so it does not
require proteins so that other transporter proteins can brings other molecules into or out
of the cell.
5. Non-polar molecules is more likely to pass through the cellular membrane because the
membrane is made up of phospholipids that are polar and it will repel the polar
molecules so the non-polar is more likely to pass through the membrane.
Conclusion:
To conclude a piece of potato 1 which soaking in distilled water has increase its
volume from 4.704 cm3 to 6.992 cm3 and it masses from 5.25 g to 6.11 g. From the
result and graph, it show that distilled water have lower concentration than a piece of
potato, so the water from the distilled water come in through a piece of potato cells to
make both side between a piece of potato, and distilled water have an equal
concentration. And a piece of potato 2 which soaking in salt water has decrease its
volume from 8.064 cm3 to 6.55 cm3 and its mass from 5.56 g to 4.6 g. From the result
and graph, it show that the salt water have high concentration than a piece of potato, so
the water from a piece of potato have come out of the potato cell to make both side
between a piece of potato and the salt water have an equal concentration. From the
result, it follows the rule of osmosis that the water will make both sides equal by water;
water will move from low concentration through higher solute concentration.