I think that the potato chips which were submerged in the weak sucrose solutions eg: 0.0M, 0.2M, 0.4M will increase in mass.
The potato chips which were submerged in the strong sucrose solutions eg: 0.6M, 0.8M, 1.0M will decrease in mass.
The glucose molecules try to diffuse to the outside but cannot get through the potato cells membrane because the pores are too small. Water molecules diffuse through the pores down a concentration gradient.
In a solution of 1.0M were there is a low concentration of water there would be a very high amount of sucrose, so the potato chip would decrease in mass, because the potato chip contains more water, so the water molecules moves out of the cell into the high solution. This is also the same for a 0.8 mole solution and a 0.6 mole solution, because there is a stronger concentration of sucrose solution and a weaker concentration of water, so the water will move from the area of high concentration to the area of low concentration, until both sides are equal, which is called an equilibrium.
The water molecules are moving out of potato cell membrane to the solution in the beaker.
In a solution of 0.0M were there is a high concentration of water there would be a very low amount of sucrose, so the potato chip would increase in mass. This is also the same for a 0.2 mole solution and a 0.4 mole solution, because there is a higher concentration of sucrose solution and a lower concentration of water, so the water will move from the area of high concentration to the area of low concentration, until both sides are equal. The glucose molecules try to diffuse to the outside but cannot get through the potato cells membrane because the pores are too small. Water molecules diffuse through the pores down a concentration gradient.
The water molecules are moving from the solution in the beaker into the potato cells membrane, because osmosis is occurring.
Osmosis is the movement from a high concentration to a low concentration.
The glucose molecules try to diffuse to the outside but cannot get through the membrane because the pores are too small. Water molecules diffuse through the pores down a concentration gradient.
In 0.6M 0.8M, 1.0M there are less water molecules, and more sucrose molecules in solution.
Therefore there are less water molecules in the solution that in the actually potato chips, so they decrease in mass.
I would need to repeat my results so I get ant average result
The ranges of concentrations are. 0.0M, 0.2M, 0.4M, 0.6M 0.8M, 1.0M
- 342g of sucrose add 1000cm3 of distilled water = 1mole of sucrose solution.
- 0.8 = 80cm3 from original 1mole solution and add 20cm3 of distilled water.
- 0.6 = 60cm3 from original 1mole solution and add 40cm3 of distilled water.
- 0.4 = 40cm3 from original 1mole solution and add 60cm3 of distilled water.
- 0.2 = 80cm3 from original 1mole solution and add 80cm3 of distilled water.
- 0.0 = 0cm3 from original 1mole solution and add 100cm3 of water.
A 1 Mole solution of sucrose is the maximum amount of sucrose that will completely dissolve in a certain amount of distilled water.
Apparatus
- Stop Clock to time our experiment.
- Knife to cut the potato.
- Cutting tile to cut the potato on.
- Distilled water.
- Measuring cylinder beaker.
- Sucrose solutions.
- Potatoes chips.
- Something to weigh the potatoes
Method
- I would set up the test tubs as seen above.
- But before this I would have to weight each of the potato chips and record it.
- When this is done I would leave it for 24hr.
- After the 24 hrs are over I would remove it from the test tubs and filter the excess solution.
- Then re-weight the mass of the potato chips.
Evaluation
I think that the experiment went very well, I did not have any strange results and they produced a good graph. However there were a few areas where there could be improvement. Firstly, when I dried off the excess water on the potato cylinders after the experiment and before I weighed them, I used a paper towel. This might have either taken some water out of the potato or it might of left some excess water on the potato. This part of the experiment is difficult to come up with an accurate and fair method, as other ways would also lead to some slight mistakes.