Adriann Wilson

20 October 2010
AP Biology
5th Period

Diffusion and Osmosis

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the processes of diffusion and osmosis
in a model membrane system and investigate the effect of solute concentration on water potential
as it relates to living plant tissue. Diffusion is when molecules spread from levels of high
concentration to levels of low concentration. Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a
selectively permeable membrane.

Hypothesis

A. If the dialysis bags are left in the water for the same amount of time, then the 1.0 M
solution will weigh the most

B. If the sweet potatoes and white potatoes are both submerged in the sucrose solution for
the same amount of time, then the sweet potatoes percent change in mass will be
negative.

Materials and Procedures

Exercise B

6 – 30 cm dialysis bag tubing

6 – 250 mL beakers
20 mL:
Control:
distilled water
Variables:
0.2 M sucrose
0.4 M sucrose
0.6 M sucrose
0.8 M sucrose
1.0 M sucrose

Procedures
1. Obtain six 30-cm strips of presoaked dialysis tubing
2. Tie a knot in one end of each piece of dialysis tubing to form 6 bags. Pour approximately
15 – 25 mL of each of the solutions into separate bags. Remove most of the air from each
bag by drawing the dialysis bag between two fingers. Tie off the other end of the bag
3. Rinse eash bag gently with distilled water to remove any sucrose spilled during the filling
4. Carefully blot the outside of each bag and record in the initial mass of each bag in grams
 5. Place each bag in an empty 250 mL beaker or cup and label the beaker to indicate the
molarity of the solution in the dialysis bag
6. Now fill each beaker two – thirds full with distilled water ensuring that the bags are
completely submerged
7. Let stand 30 minutes
8. At the end of 30 minutes remove the bags from the water. Carefully blot and record the
mass of each bag in grams

Exercise C

6 – 250 mL beakers
4 potato cylinders for each beaker
100 mL:
Control:
Distilled water
Variables:
0.2 M sucrose
0.4 M sucrose
0.6 M sucrose
0.8 M sucrose
1.0 M sucrose

Procedures:
1. Pour 300 mL of each soulution into a separate 250 mL beaker. Slice a potato into discs
that are approximately 3 cm thick
2. Use a cork bearer to cut four potato cylinders. Do not include any skin on the cylinders.
3. Determine the mass of four cylinders together and record the mass in grams. Put four
cylinders into the beakers
4. Cover each beaker with plastic to prevent evaporation
5. Let the beakers stand overnight
6. Remove the cores from the beakers, blot them gently on a paper towel and determine
each set of four total mass
7. Record the final mass in grams and calculate the percent change
Results

Exercise B

Contents in Dialysis Bag Percent Change in Mass

0.0 M Distilled Water 4.83%
0.2 M Sucrose 15.61%
0.4 M Sucrose 2.08%
0.6 M Sucrose 7.79%
0.8 M Sucrose 7.00%
1.0 M Sucrose 10.99%

Exercise C

Contents in Beaker Percent Change in Percent Change in

Mass – Sweet Potato Mass – White Potato
0.0 M Distilled Water 11.6% 0%
0.2 M Sucrose 8% 0%
0.6 M Sucrose 5.6% -2.6%
0.8 M Sucrose 3.6% -2.9%
1.0 M Sucrose -8.0% 44%
Discussion/Conclusions

The hypothesis for exercise B was incorrect. According to the data that was collected, the
0.2 M solution had a higher percent change in mass. This result was probably caused by an
experiment error. The trend shows that the higher the molarity the sucrose is, the higher the
percent change in mass. If this experiment was performed a second time, the results would most
likely be different and better reflect the results intended. The hypothesis for Exercise C was
correct. The percent change in mass of the sweet potato showed a steady decrease as the molarity
of sucrose increased. This makes sense because sweet potato already has an amount of sugar in
it therefore the more sugar it is submerged in correlates its change in mass.

Literature Citation

Lab # 1 Diffusion and Osmosis (College Board) AP Biology Lab Manual for Students (2001)
New Jersey: College Board. P. 1 – 18.

Questions

1. Explain the relationship between the change in mass and the molarity of sucrose within
the dialysis bags.

The molarity of the sucrose in the bag determines the amount of water that either moves
into or out of the bag, which results in the mass changing.

2. Predict what would happen to the mass of each bag in this experiment if all the bags were
placed in a 0.4 M sucrose solution instead of distilled water. Explain your response.
 If each of the bags were placed into a 0.4 M solution then the final masses would have
been different. The mass of the distilled water and 0.2 M solution would decrease
because water would have left the bag. The 0.4 M solution would stay the same, and the
0.6 M, 0.8 M, and 1.0 M solutions would increase because water would move inside of
the bags in order to achieve equilibrium.

3. Why did you calculate the percent change in mass rather than simply using the change in
mass?

The percent change in mass shows how much the mass increased due to the addition of
water.

4. A dialysis bag is filled with distilled water then placed in a sucrose solution. The bag’s
initial mass is 20 g and its final mass is 18 g. Calculate the percent change of mass,
showing your calculations here:

1. If a potato core is allowed to dehydrate by sitting in the open air, would the water
potential of the potato cells decrease or increase? Why?

The water potential of the potato core will decrease because the water inside the potato
would evaporate and therefore lower the water potential.

2. If a plant cell has a lower water potential than its surrounding environment and if the
pressure is equal to zero, is the cell hypertonic (in terms of solute concentration) or
hypotonic to its environment? Will the cell gain water or lose water? Explain your
response.

The solute concentration of the plant cell is hypertonic because the solute concentration is
higher than the water concentration. Water will move into the cell in order to reach
equilibrium.

3. In Figure 1.5 the beaker is open to the atmosphere. What is the pressure potential of the
system?

The pressure potential of the system is 0.

4. In Figure 1.5 where is the greatest water potential?

The water potential is greater inside the dialysis bag.

5. Water will diffuse __________ the bag. Why?

Water will diffuse out of the bag because the water potential is higher in the bag and
water moves from high potential to low potential.
 7. a

7. b. The molar concentration of solutes within the cell is .35 mole/liter.