The effect of sugar concentration on the mass of potatoes.

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The effect of sugar concentration on the mass of potatoes

AIM

This investigation is based upon osmosis. Hence, I am carrying out this experiment to investigate how different concentrations of sucrose (the independent variable) and distilled water solution affect the mass of a potato tuber.

APPARATUS

6 BOILING TUBES                KNIFE

TEST TUBE STAND              SUCROSE (CONCENTARION OF 0.5 M)- AMOUNTS

                                                 (IN ml): 25, 20, 15, 10, and 5.

CORK AND BORER                              

                                                  DISTILLED WATER-SAME AMOUNTS AS

ELECTRIC SCALES               SUCROSE SOLUTION

POTATO                                  MEASURING CYLINDER      

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This experiment is based upon osmosis and therefore a clear understanding of this is to be obtained. Osmosis can be summed up as, ‘the movement of water molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration through a semi-permeable membrane.’ Osmosis also depends upon water and solute potential. Ψ-this is the Greek letter ‘psi’ for water potential. Pure, distilled water has a water potential of zero. Therefore, solutions containing solutes like sucrose decrease the maximum water potential, making this level below zero, hence negative.

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PREDICTION

Based on this prior knowledge, I predict that the higher the concentration of the sugar solution, the more likely the mass of the potato tuber will decrease. This is because osmosis is the movement of water molecules from where they’re in a higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. Thus being, I believe this will mean that because there is higher water potential in the potato tuber than there is outside, the water molecules will diffuse outside of the tuber into the beaker of solution. This will decrease the mass of the potato as the ...

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