osmosis core practical

• aim: to investigate osmosis using potato chips
• METHOD:

  • set up solutions of different solute concentration (0%, 40%, 80%, 100%)
  • record the mass of the potato chips
  • place each potato chip in one of the 4 boiling tubes filled with the sucrose solutions
  • 20 minutes later, measure the mass of the potato chip again
• CONCLUSION:

  When the solution concentration is very dilute, the water enters the potato cells by osmosis. This means the mass of the potato chip increases.

  As the solution becomes more concentrated osmosis causes water to be lost from the potato. The mass of the potato chip decreases.
• % change in mass = (final mass - initial mass) ÷ initial mass X 100