Find out the Effect of Sugar Concentration on the Movement of Water in Plant Cells.

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SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

OSMOSIS

Title

Experiment to find out the Effect of Sugar Concentration on the Movement of Water in Plant Cells.

Aim

To test for osmosis.  We shall be seeing if the level of sugar concentration affects the rate and the amount of water being passed through the cells in a potato chip.

 

Prediction

I think that if you increase the level of sugar concentration in the mixture, less water will be passed through the potato chips cells because the cells will be thicker and stronger.  This will only allow a little bit of water to pass through.  

Background Information

(See Appendix A)

Method

  1. Collect 5 plastic dishes (5cm diameter) and label with the level of sugar concentration you will be testing for.  You only need 1 dish per level of concentration.  
  2. Cut sufficient pieces of chips from potatoes.  You need enough to place 1 in each dish.  It doesn’t matter if they are not of equal size.
  3. Place a piece of chip next to each dish.
  4. Electronically measure the weight of each piece of chip and record this information.  Place the chip next to the tub it was taken from, once weighed.
  5. Fill each dish with 25ml of the level of concentration it requires.  (Eg. Dish 1 – 25ml of conc. 0.2 etc…)  
  6. At the same time, place all of the pieces of chips into the appropriate dish and start a stopwatch.
  7. Simultaneously, after 5 minutes, remove all pieces of chip and place on blotting paper to remove any access sugar.  Remember to know which chip goes where.  
  8. After 2 minutes of blotting, electronically record the weight of each chip and write down the new weight next to the old one.
  9. Repeat at least twice more to ensure a fair test.  

Apparatus  

  • Potatoes (cut into chips)
  • Sugar solutions (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 etc. molars)
  • Plastic trays (1 for each potato chip)
  • Measuring cylinders (measure 25ml of concentration)
  • Stopwatch (record length of experiment)
  • Weighing scales (weigh chips)
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Safety

Safety is a very important aspect in any scientific experiment.  This is emphasised in this osmosis experiment.  The following rules and procedures should be taken into account when performing this experiment.  

  1. Wash hands.  If you are going for a clean experiment you should start with your hands.
  2. Tie back long hair.  This does not apply as much for boys, but girls should be warned.
  3. Wear an apron.  You do not want acid or any other substance ruining your clothes.
  4. Do not run.  Always walk and take ...

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