LO3: Measuring the Water Concentration of Cell Sap in

Plant Tissue
Aim: To find out the concentration of potato cell sap by immersing samples in
solution of different water concentrations.
Method:

6 cylinders of potato were cut out using the same cork borer to ensure they were
all the same diameter. They were then all cut to 3cm long each. The 6 cylinders
were then blotted dry and weighed. The weights were recorded. The cylinders
were then placed in 30ml of salt solution each, for 60 minutes. After removing
the potato cylinders they were dried again and reweighed. These weights were
recorded again.
It was made a fair test by using the same volume of salt solution, the same
length and diameter of potato and the length of time the potato was left in the
solution. The variable changed was the concentration of the salt solution, the
concentrations were; 0.1M, 0.2M, 0.3M, 0.4M, 0.5M and 0.6M. It was the %
change in mass that was measured.
The part I played was to measure out the salt solutions and cutting the potato
cylinders out.

Results:
Salt Solution
Concentration (M)

Initial Mass (g)

Final Mass (g)

% Change in Mass
(g)

0.1

1.58

1.59

+0.63

0.2

1.53

1.58

+3.30

0.3

1.55

1.44

-7.10

0.4

1.62

1.46

-9.90

0.5

1.59

1.13

-17.60

0.6

1.68

1.38

-17.90

Class Results:
Salt
Solution
Concentrati
on (M)

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Average %
Change in
Mass

0.1

+0.63

+6.50

+7.49

+6.79

+5.47

0.2

+3.30

-1.70

+3.68

-2.48

+0.70

0.3

-7.10

-8.60

-0.75

-2.48

-4.73

0.4

-9.90

-11.60

-6.62

-8.83

-9.11

0.5

-17.60

-15.30

-16.91

-18.29

-17.03

0.6

-17.90

-18.90

-16.91

-22.15

-18.97

Conclusion:
The salt solution molarity which has a water concentration equal to the plant sell
sap is 0.15M.
Evaluation of Experimental Procedure:
The cylinders were dried off before each weighing to ensure there was no extra
water on them that would affect the results, making them unreliable.