SBA # 3

DATE: November 2, 2016

TITLE : WATER POTENTIAL

AIM: To investigate the effects of potato tissue on three different solutions

APPARATUS:

Test tubes, syringe, distilled water, scapel, filter paper, potato strips of similar diameter, 0.1
mol dm-3 sucrose solution, 0.5 mol dm-3 sucrose solution, 1 mol dm-3 sucrose solution.

DIAGRAM OF APPARATUS SET UP

METHOD:

Three pieces of potato of similar diameter were selected and cut to obtain a length of 5 cm for
each piece. Each piece was then lightly blotted with a filter paper to remove excess water. 5 cm3
of 0.1 mol dm-3 sucrose was measured using a syringe and placed into a test tube labelled A.
Likewise, 5 cm3 of 0.5 mol dm-3 and 1 mol dm-3 sucrose was measured using a syringe and placed
into a test tubes labelled B and C respectively. One piece of potato was placed into each test and
the test tubes were then fitted with bungs and left for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes elapsed,
the potatoes were removed from each tube using a mounted needle and the tissue was
discarded. To each test tube, one (1) drop of methylene blue solution was added. The tube was
then shaken gently to mix the test tubes content until it was uniformly blue in colour. To three
new test tubes labelled A1, B1 and C1, 5 cm3 of the original sucrose solutions of concentrations
0.1 mol dm-3 , 0.5 mol dm-3 , and 1 mol dm-3 was added respectively. One (1) drop of distilled
water was then added to each test tube. Using a dropper, a small amount of solution A was
retrieved and gently released in solution A1 with the tip stationery and placed half way down
the solution. This was repeated with solutions B and C in solutions B1 and C1 respectively.
Brittany N. Pitt
L6H1
OBSERVATION:

TABLE SHOWING THE OBSERVATIONS MADE WHEN SUCROSE SOLUTIONS OF VARYING

CONCENTRATIONS WERE INFUSED WITH COLOURED SUCROSE SOLUTIONS OF CORRESPONDING
CONCENTRATIONS THAT WERE ENDOWED WITH POTATO STRIPS FOR THIRTY (30) MINUTES

SOLUTION BEHAVIOUR OF BLUE DROP

A1 Solution A1 was initially uniformly colourless. Upon being infused with the blue
coloured solution A at the middle of the solution A1, the blue solution A was
observed to sink to the absolute bottom of the test tube. The bottom of the test
tube was as a result dark blue in colour and a light blue trail from the point of
infusion to the dark blue colour was observed.

B1 Solution B1 was initially uniformly colourless. Upon being infused with the blue
coloured solution B at the middle of the solution B1, the blue solution B was
observed to not float nor sink but remain at the middle of the test tube. Soon it
was observed that the blue colour became uniform throughout the test tube.

C1 Solution C1 was initially uniformly colourless. Upon being infused with the blue
coloured solution C at the middle of the solution C1, the blue solution C was
observed to float to the absolute top of the solution C1. The bottom of the test
tube was as colourless as a result and a dark blue colour was observed at the top
of the test tube.

DISUSSION:

Osmosis is the movement of solvent particles through a partially permeable membrane from an
area of high water potential to an area of low water potential until the concentration of solute
on either side of the partially permeable membrane is equal. Cells of living organism are
outfitted with partially permeable membranes and as a result, osmosis will visibly occur in
tissues (groups of cells) of living organisms placed in hypertonic and hypotonic solutions. In the
experiment conducted this tissue was that of a potato.

When solution A was endowed with the potato strip, coloured, then infused in solution A1, the
coloured solution A was observed to sink. This is due to solution A increasing in density. The
density of a substance is defined as its mass per unit volume. The volume to which the sucrose
molecules reside was decreased (concentration increased) due to water molecules moving from
solution A to the inside of the potato. This means that the initial solution A in comparison to the
potato tissue was a hypotonic solution.

Brittany N. Pitt
L6H1
When solution B was endowed with the potato strip, coloured then infused in solution B1 the
coloured solution was observed to remain at the position placed suggesting that B and B1 are of
similar densities. This implies that there was no net flow of solvent particles from nor to the
potato cells i.e. the volume in which the sucrose molecules reside did not increase nor decrease.
B was therefore an isotonic solution in comparison to the concentration of solvents within the
potato tissue.

When solution C was endowed with the potato strip, coloured then infused in solution C1, the
solution was observed to float implying that C1 decreased in density i.e. the volume occupied by
the sucrose molecules increased. Solvent particles therefore flowed from the inside of the
potato to solution C1 until there was no water potential difference inside and outside of the cell.
This implies that in comparison to the concentration of solvents within the potato tissue, the
initial solution C was a hypertonic solution.

From this experiment, the evidence of the ability of the potato tissue to control its external
environments by the means of osmotic movements is confirmed. Also, the concentration of the
potato cells cell sap was determined to be approximately 0.5 mol dm-3 as in solution B, no net
movements were observed implying that the inside of the cell had the same concentration as
the solution.

In the experiment, before the blue drops were released in the original solutions A1 B1 and C1,
the same amount of distilled water as drops of methylene blue placed in solutions A B and C was
added to the original solutions. This is due to the fact that methylene blue has an approximate
density of 1 g/cm3 .The addition of the methylene blue is essential to distinguish the solutions
but due to its own properties will alter the density of the overall solutions. To ensure
consistency, the density of the original solutions was altered by the same amount by adding
distilled water which also has a density of 1 g/cm3 . When equal alterations are done to both
solutions the density alterations become negligible i.e. they may be ignored as they do not
interfere with the results obtained.

The experiment could be made more reliable by measuring the pressure within each covered
test tube containing the potato to ensure that all potatoes succumbed the same pressure
influence in transporting across the cell membrane. A cork borer could also be utilized to ensure
that the diameters of each potato strip were of the exact value implying that all the strips would
have the same number of cells to perform osmotic functions. Also, the temperature of each
solution could be measured to ensure that they are the same and that the molecules in none of
the solutions had more energy than those of another solution.

Brittany N. Pitt
L6H1
PRECAUTIONS:

The potatoes were covered with a bong in the test tube to ensure that the density of the
solutions in the test tubes did not increase nor decrease by the means of water leaving/entering
the test tube via evaporation/condensation.

LIMITATIONS:

The methylene solution has a density of exactly 0.98 g/cm3 while the distilled water has a
density of exactly 1 g/cm3. This means that when the original solution was altered with distilled
water to compensate for the alteration done to solutions A1 B1 and C1, an excess of 0.02 g/cm3
was added. This small difference may have increased the density of the original solutions in turn
affect the results obtained.

CONCLUSION:

From the experiment conducted the initial solution A in comparison to the potato tissue was
found to be a hypotonic solution and the initial solution C, in comparison to the potato cells,
was found to be a hypertonic solution. Solution B had no net movements and as a result was
determined to be isotonic in comparison to the potato cells. The potato cells were determined
to have an approximated sucrose concentration equal to that of solution B which is 0.5
mol/dm3.

Brittany N. Pitt
L6H1