Name: __________________________________ Date: _____________________________

Diffusion through a Membrane Part 1: Chemical Testing

Introduction
Diffusion is the process by which the collisions of molecules cause them to spread apart from
each other. This action causes molecules in highly concentrated areas to move toward less
concentrated areas until the molecules are equally spread out, or at equilibrium.
The molecules in living cells are no different than any other molecules in the universe. Their
environment is one factor that can affect the movement of molecules. The molecules in living
cells encounter a membrane around and between every cell. This membrane is said to be
semipermeable, meaning that certain molecules are allowed to pass through while others are not.
While the semipermeable membrane will prevent certain molecules from passing between cells,
those molecules that are allowed to pass through will continue to move in and out of cells until
the concentration of molecules inside the cell and outside the cell are equal or at equilibrium.

Procedure: Chemical Testing

1. Obtain 6 clean test tubes and set them in a test tube holder.
2. Add 10 drops of water to each of the first two test tubes
3. Add 10 drops of Starch to each of the next two test tubes
4. Add 10 drops of glucose to each of the last two test tubes
5. Now that you have 3 pairs of test tubes set up, you are going to test each substance for the
presence of starch and glucose.
a. To do this, add 10 drops of starch indicator solution to the first test tube of each
pair and 10 drops of glucose indicator to the second test tube of each pair.
b. Swirl each test tube to thoroughly mix them
c. Take each test tube that you added glucose indicator solution to and heat it in the
hot water bath for 2 minutes
d. Observe and record any color change in each of the six test tubes and record all
results in the table on the backside of this page.
Indicator Solution
Used
Blue-colored
Glucose indicator
Solution
Amber-colored
Starch indicator
Solution

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Distilled Water
Light Blue

Material Tested
Starch
Light Blue

Glucose
Color Change

Amber

Green / Dark brown

Amber

Lab Report:
1. Put a proper heading at the top of a new page in your lab notebook. 10pts
2. On a new line, write the title of the lab, centered and underlined. 5pts
3. On a new line write the word background. 5pts
4. After reading the introduction complete the following;
a. Explain the process of diffusion. 5pts
b. When do molecules stop spreading out. 5pts
c. Describe semi-permeable. 5pts
1. On a new line in your lab notebook write the word data. 5pts
2. Recreate the data table from the experiment. 5pts
3. Complete the following;
a. What is a chemical indicator? 5pts
b. When performing the chemical tests described what purpose does the water
serve? 5pts
c. Describe how a student would know that a specific substance was Starch or
glucose? 5pts
d. Describe how you would use a controlled experiment similar to the ones
performed in this lab to prove that a particular solution is the combination of
glucose and glucose indicator solution and not simple one of the two. 15pts

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