General Biology

Osmosis Lab

Soontornworasate Nataphan, Sand

Mailueang Nathanicha, Ning
Srihakorth Nakin, Mammoth
Lohaburananont Gawin, Win
Thanyarat Lohapark, Ploy

1001

6/3/2017
Purpose
The purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate how the osmosis work.

Hypothesis
If the jelly and potato soak in distilled water, then the jelly and potato will swell.
If the jelly and potato soak in salt water, then the jelly and potato will shrink.

Material

6 Beakers (3 for jelly, 3 for potato)

Electronic Balance
Distilled water
Concentrated salt water
2 Jellies
2 Potato Pieces
Calculator
Knife
Weighing paper
Markers
Gloves
Lab Coat
Goggles
Method

1. Collect the materials that your group needs (3 Jelly and Half a Potato)
2. Use the knife to cut the potato into 3 equal pieces
3. Use the electronic balance to find the mass of your jelly. Remember to lay down a
piece of weighing paper and set to zero.
4. Record your data
5. Record descriptive observations about the jelly prior to the experiment.
6. Measure the initial volume of the jelly and the potato and record your data.
7. Fill your 1st beaker halfway with distilled water. Put one of your jelly into the
beaker. Set the beaker aside for one hour. Label the beaker using marker.
8. Fill your 2st beaker with concentrated salt solution halfway. Put your 2nd jelly into
that beaker. Set beaker aside for one hour. Label the beaker using marker.
9. Put your 3rd jelly into an empty beaker without putting anything in it. That should
be your control.
10. Put the 4th beaker halfway with distilled water. Put one of your potato pieces into
the beaker. Set the beaker aside for one hour. Label the beaker.
11. Put the 5th beaker halfway with concentrated salt solution halfway. Put your
second potato pieces into that beaker and set it aside for an hour. Label the beaker.
12. Place your last piece of potato pieces into the last beaker, empty. That is your
control for the potato. Label the beaker.
13. Make sure you label all the beakers distilled water or concentrated salt
solution with some markers.
14. After one hour, come back and look at each of the beakers and record the data
volume and mass of both the jellies in two beaker and both the potato in two other
beakers.
15. Also record the descriptive data for what the jelly and the potato look like now
after being soaker for an hour.
16. Calculate the percent change in the size of each jelly and potato
a) Percent change in height (Height after- Height before/ Height before x
100% = ?)
b) Percent change in width
c) Percent change in length
d) Percent change in volume
e) Percent change in mass
 Data tables

Data table A Volume and mass of jelly before and after soaking in soaking
and distilled water

Jelly 1 Jelly 2

Dimensions Initial: Before Final: After Initial: Before Final: After

Soaking Soaking in Soaking soaking in Salt
Distilled Water Water

Volume 4ml 5ml 4ml 4ml

Mass 5.06g 6.09g 5.12g 4.82g

Data table B Volume and mass of potato before and after soaking in soaking
and distilled water

Potato 1 Potato 2

Dimensions Initial: Before Final: After Initial: Before Final: After

Soaking Soaking in Soaking soaking in Salt
Distilled Water Water

Volume 3 3.4 3 2.5

Mass 3.18 3.51 2.9 2.56

Data table C Descriptive observations of the jelly before and after soaking in
distilled water and salt water

Jelly 1 Jelly 2

Descriptive Observations Before Descriptive Observations Before

Soaking in Distilled Water: Soaking in Salt Water:
the jelly was sticky the jelly was sticky

Descriptive Observations After Soaking Descriptive Observations After Soaking

in Distilled Water: in Salt Water:
the jelly was bigger, softer, and its color the jelly was smaller and softer
was lighter the salt water change the color into pale
pink

Data table D Descriptive observations of the potato before and after soaking in
distilled water and salt water

Potato 1 Potato 2

Descriptive Observations Before Descriptive Observations Before

Soaking in Distilled Water: Soaking in Salt Water:
the potato was a little bit moist and it was a little bit moist and was not too
not too hard and too soft hardand soft

Descriptive Observations After Soaking Descriptive Observations After Soaking

in Distilled Water: in Salt Water:
the potato was bigger and it look like it the potato look shrinker and the size
has more water inside of it was not change obviously
Bar graph

Jelly 1: Soaked in Distilled Jelly 2: Soaked in Salt

Water Water

Percent Change in Volume 25% 0.00%

Percent Change in Mass 16.91% -6.22%

Potato 1: Soaked in Distilled Potato 2 : Soaked in Salt

Water Water

Percent Change in Volume 13.33% -16.67%

Percent Change in Mass 9.40% -13.28%

Analyze Results

1. What happened to the jellies after being soaked in distilled water and salt water for
an hour? Why? Be descriptive and detailed in your answer. Use your knowledge of
membrane transport.

answer The jelly that being soaked in distilled water are bigger than the other one
that being soaked in salt water and it also swell. Not only the size but also the mass,
volume, and even the color of the solution in two beakers were different too which the
beaker that contains water has no color while the beaker that contains salt water has
pale pink color. This caused by the osmosis which is the process that water move in
and out of the membrane. The jelly that being soaked in salt water was smaller in
size, shrink, and the mass and volume was lower too because the salt water has
more concentration than the jelly so the water would move out more than move in the
jelly and this why the solution has pale pink color so we can know that the jelly is
hypotonic and the salt water is hypertonic. For the jelly that being soaked in the
water, it was bigger in both of size and mass or volume because it has more
concentration than the water so the water move into the jelly more than move out and
this why it was bigger so the jelly would be hypertonic and the water would be
hypotonic. As you can see from the data table, we measured the mass and volume
and the results are the jelly that soaked in distilled water

2. What happened to the potato after being soaked in distilled water and salt water for
an hour? Be descriptive and detailed in your answer. Use your knowledge of
membrane transport.

answer From the experiment, the potato that being soaked in distilled water were
swell because according to the osmosis process, the water would move from the
solution that has less concentrate or hypotonic solution which in this state is water to
the solution that has more concentrate or hypertonic solution which is potato so the
water would move in more than move out of the potato. According to the data table,
the potatos mass and volume was change too. For the potato that soaked in salt
water, its volume and mass was decreased because in this state the potato is refer
to hypotonic solution and the salt water around is refer to hypertonic solution so
water would move out more than move in the potato.

Conclusion

Osmosis is the movement of water(solvent) through semi permeable membrane from

hypertonic to hypotonic. When jelly and potato were putted in distilled water, water will move
in and get bigger because inside them has higher concentrated solution. Conversely, when
both of them were putted in salt water, water will move out and get smaller because outside
them has higher concentrated solution.
 Work Log

Name Job / Role Date Assignment complete or not

Nataphan Soontornworasate Record data and 1/3/2017 Assignment complete

analyze result
questions, hypothesis

Nakin Srihakorth Measure Volume , 1/3/2017 Assignment complete

method, material

Nathanicha Mailueang Fill water in beaker, 1/3/2017 Assignment complete

make data tables,
conclusion, purpose

Gawin Lohaburananont Record data, bar graph, 1/3/2017 Assignment complete

data tables

Thanyarat Lohapark Record data, measure 1/3/2017 Assignment complete

mass

Reference

McIntosh, N. (2014, November 6). Osmosis. Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa_pre_2011/cells/cells4.shtml

Diffusion and passive transport (n.d.). from

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-transport/passive-transport/
a/diffusion-and-passive-transport
Introduction (Sand):

Cell transport is just like when we walk through the door. Sometimes we can walk
through easily, sometimes we need keys, or sometimes there is a security guard. This is
similar to how cell transport the substances and the door is refer to a cell membrane. Cell
membrane is a part of cell that separate the inside and outside cell and is selectively
permeable which control the movement of substance from inside and outside cell. The
substances that are small and non-polar would pass directly through the cell membrane but
the substances that are large and have ions would require a channel or carrier protein.
(Khanacademy, n.d.) Membrane transport can be divided into 2 types which are active
transport and passive transport. Active transport is the one type that requires energy for
transporting substance because it allows substance to move inside and outside cell from low
concentration gradient to high centration gradient which this is against the concentration. For
passive transport, it allows some substances to move inside and outside of cell from high
concentration gradient to low concentration gradient which is along the concentration so they
would not require an energy. Passive transport can be divided into three types which are
simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and osmosis. Simple diffusion allows some substances
pass through the cell membrane from high concentration gradient to low concentration
gradient. Facilitated diffusion requires channel or carrier protein to help the substances pass
through the cell membrane. Osmosis is different from the others because this process allows
only water can pass through and the water move from low concentration gradient to high
concentration gradient or from the more water to the less water. From this process, the
solutions can be divided into two types which are hypertonic and hypotonic. Hypertonic
refers to a solution that has more solute. Conversely, hypotonic refers to a solution that has
less solute.

The purpose of this lab is to demonstrate the osmosis. In the experiment, we used the
jelly and potato for observing which both of them were soaked in both distilled water and salt
water. First we measured the mass and volume of jellies and potatoes before soaking. After
they were soaking in both distilled water and salt water for a hour, we measured the mass
and volume of them again. If the mass and volume of the jelly and potato that soaked in
distilled water were increased, it means distilled water is hypotonic solution and the jelly and
potato are hypertonic solution so the water would move into them. If the mass and volume of
the jelly and potato that soaked in salt water were decreased, it means salt water is
hypertonic solution and the jelly and potato are hypotonic solution so the water would move
out of them.

References

Diffusion and passive transport (n.d.). from

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-transport/passive-transport/
a/diffusion-and-passive-transport
Passive transport and active transport across a cell membrane article (n.d.). from
https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/cells/transport-across-a-cell-membrane/a/pass
ive-transport-and-active-transport-across-a-cell-membrane-article
Introduction (Ning)

Normally, more concentrated solution will dissolve in less concentrated solution. How
about if there has semi permeable membrane separate both of them? While small
substances can pass through, other big substance cannot. This will cause osmosis. It is
solvent will diffuse through this membrane from the less concentrated to the more
concentrated solution (Osmosis, n.d.). There is a name for these solution. There are
Hypotonic: a solution which contains more solute than solvent, Hypertonic: a solution which
contains more solvent than solute (Baijal, A., What is the difference between hypertonic,
hypotonic, and isotonic solutions? 2015).
In this lab experiment, I have chance to prove this statement by using jelly or potato
as a solute and salt water or distilled water as a solvent. I cut jelly into 3 equal piece. One of
them was putted in distilled water as a hypotonic, the other one was putted in salt water as a
hypertonic. The last one just stayed in empty beaker as a control variable. After one hour, I
discovered that the one in distilled water looked bigger in mass and volume while the one in
salt water looked smaller than the original one. This caused by osmosis which water will
move to the one that contain more salt.

Reference

Osmosis. Retrieved from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Kinetic/diffus.html.

Baijal, A. (2015, August 16). What is the difference between hypertonic, hypotonic, and
isotonic solutions? Retrieved from
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-hypertonic-hypotonic-and-isotonic-s
olutions.
Introduction(Gawin)

The membrane transport is basically how substances move in and move out of the
cell. The membrane transport will be divided into two major parts: Passive Transport and
Active Transport. The Passive Transport doesnt use energy to let the substances move
in/out the cell, but Active Transport does. One of the Passive Transport is called Osmosis.
The solution can be in three states; Hypertonic, Hypotonic, and Isotonic. Hypertonic is when
the solution has more concentration than inside the cell. Conversely, Hypotonic is when the
cell has more concentration than the solution. Isotonic is when the concentration of both
inside and outside the cell is equal. Hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic are relative terms.
That is, they describe how one solution compares to another in terms of osmolarity (Khan
Academy, NB). Osmosis isnt like other Passive transport, because it doesnt transport
substances. Instead, it transports water in and out of the cell; from more water (less
concentration) to less water (more concentration).

This lab practice is mainly about Osmosis, and how it affects jelly and potato. We put
2 jellies and 2 equal-sized potato in 2 types of solution: hypotonic (100% water) and
hypertonic (Salt Water) and wait for an hour to see the changes. Then, we measure the
mass and volume before and after the experiment. Also, we put another jelly and another
potato in a beaker which has nothing else inside, to be a control group.

References

Passive and Active transport

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Active_Transport_vs_Passive_Transport

Osmosis and tonicity:

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-transport/diffusion-and-osm
osis/a/osmosis
Intro (Mammoth)

As we know, when we confront a door, it needed to be open by us but if we

encounter an automatic door it will open automatically. There are two types of membrane
transport which are active and passive transport. Active transport uses an energy which are
Bulk transport and Sodium Potassium Pump; however, passive transport doesnt require
energy which are simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and osmosis. For the osmosis, it is an
act of a water moving from place to place, high water moving to low water or water moving to
the place with higher solute. As the water move or stay still, there are three effects that can
happen which call Tonicity. There are hypotonic (swell), isotonic (stable), and hypertonic
(shrink).

The osmosis also occurs in the osmosis lab experiment. We used the jellies and
potatoes put in the beaker with a three different type of water that have been given to test if
the jellies and potatoes will swell, shrink, and stay the same and record the data. The beaker
with distilled water is hypotonic and the beaker with salt water is hypertonic. At the end, it
can be seen that they both show the result as we expected which are hypotonic, hypertonic,
and isotonic.

References

Osmosis and tonicity (n.d.). from

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-transport/diffusion-and-osm
osis/a/osmosis

Diffusion and passive transport (n.d.). from

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/membranes-and-transport/passive-transport/
a/diffusion-and-passive-transport
Introduction (Ploy)

Transfer of a liquid solvent through a semipermeable membrane that does not allow
dissolved solids (solutes) to pass(The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia ,2012) 1. Osmosis
is the movement of liquid ,refer as water, from high concentration to low concentration. The
higher concentration solution is called Hypertonic solution but the lower concentration
solution is called Hypotonic solution. If the concentration of cells is equal to outside cells it
is called isotonic solution ,which the movement of water is balance.2

According to our experiment, we use both potato and jelly to test hypertonic and
hypotonic solution. We use jelly and potato to refer as inside cells and the beaker to refer as
the environment outside cells. We do the experiment by placing both in salt water and record
the data. If both swell it refers to hypotonic solution but if both shrink it refers to hypertonic.

Reference:

1
Osmosis, The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia (2012).Retrieved form
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/osmosis.html

2
Isotonic, Hypotonic, and Hypertonic Solutions (line 1).Retrieved form
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/biocoach/biomembrane1/solutions.html