To determine the water potential of a potato tuber cell using varying salt solution.

The first 200 words of this essay...

Aim

To determine the water potential of a potato tuber cell using varying salt solution.

Introduction

Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules from a region where it has higher water potential to a region where it has lower water potential through a partially permeable membrane1. As osmosis is a type of diffusion the same things that affect diffusion have an effect on osmosis some of theses things are:

* The concentration gradient - the more the difference in molecules on one side of the membrane compared to the other, the greater the number of molecules passing through the membrane and therefore the faster the rate of diffusion2.

* The surface area - the larger the area the quicker the rate of diffusion

* The size of the diffusing particles - the smaller the particle the quicker the rate and polar molecules diffuse faster than non-polar ones3.

* The temperature - the higher the temperature the more kinetic energy the particles have and so the faster they move.

From the diagram4 we can see the process of osmosis in a simple expression. On the right side there is pure