Osmosis in potato cell lab report

Diagram of apparatus:

        

Method:

The above materials were collected. The three test tubes were labelled A, B and C with a chinograph pencil, then placed them into the test tube rack. Pipette into test tube A 10mls with distilled water B 10mls 0.2M sucrose solution and C 10mls with 0.6M sucrose solution. Then cut from a potato, 3 cores using a cork borer. Place potato cores onto the tile and trim potato core to equal length using the safety razor. Blot each potato core with a paper towel and in turn weight each core and record weight then place one core in each test tube and place lids and leave for 24hours. After the 24 hours blot each potato core with a paper towel and in turn weigh each core, record weight for individual result and a class average result.

Results: Individual

Results: Class average

Interpretation of results:

Conclusion:

After 24 hours the results that are expected from this experiment is that in test tube A a gain in weight should occur, test tube B would stay the same and in test tube C would show a loss in weight. From the following results shows that osmosis had occurred. Osmosis which is the diffusion of water across a selective permeable membrane, going  from a high water concentration to a low water concentration. The results shows that test tube A, there was no change in the weight but a change in texture of the potato core had happen. This result was the same for test tube B even though the potato was in a hypertonic solution to A. The potato cell had a  much firmer texture (turgid) but the % change has shown nothing had happen. Test tube C results shows that osmosis diffusion ocurred from the hypertonic solution, potato cell being the high water concentration diffusion by osmosis to the solution of low water concentration. The potato cell in test tube C had also descreased in mass and volume and went soft (flaccid).

Evaluation:

The result table is giving a correct percenage change which concludes that somethings has  went wrong during the experiment. Many things can play a factor in why the results are wrong. This could’ve been that all the potato cores had not been blotted the same to show each value of excess water on the paper towel, that the solutions could’ve been mixted,  the potato measurement recorded wrong and using the pipette wrong.