To investigate the behaviour of pieces of potato in different salt solutions.

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Biology Investigation

Aim: To investigate the behaviour of pieces of potato in different salt solutions.

Plan: In my investigation, I have decided to vary the concentration of the salt solutions.  I will use 0.0molar (distilled water), 0.2molar, 0.4molar, 0.6molar, 0.8molar, and 1.0molar salt solutions.  I think the potato in 0.0 molar salt will gain more weight than the potato in 1.0molar salt solution.  This will happen because of osmosis.  *Osmosis is the movement of solvent through a semipermeable membrane, separating solutions of different concentrations.  The solvent passes from a less concentrated solution to a more concentrated solution until the two concentrations are equal.*  The semipermeable membranes hold back the large molecules, letting the smaller ones through.

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What am I going to do?

Even though I am only going to use six different concentrations of salt solutions, I will need eighteen test tubes because I will repeat each concentration three times.  Using a cork borer, I will cut out eighteen pieces of potato, weigh them all and record the masses.  My weights will give me quite an accurate measure because the electronic scales are to 2decimal places.  The pieces of potato, will then be placed into eitghteen lebelled test tubes, and then each covered in 20ml of salt solution.  Iam using 20ml because each piece ...

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