A.

OBJECTIVE
1. To observe the effect of water potential on cell placed in hypotonic and hypertonic
solution
2. To calculate the percent change in mass of potato cores over the course of the
experiment
3. Predict the approximate solute concentration made the potato tuber

B. EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

1. Equipment
a. Forceps
b. Balance
2. Material
a. Distilled water
b. Potato core on tray
c. Sucrose solution (0,1 M to 1M)

C. SAFETY
1. Be sure to always wear safety goggles, gloves, and a lab apron to protect your
eyes and clothing when working with any chemicals
2. Dispose of any waste materials and clean up your work area or directed by your
teacher
3. Be sure to always wash your hands before leaving the laboratory

D. WORK PROCEDURE
1. Took the forceps over to the pile of 3 cm x 5 cm potato cores to select a group of
4 potato cores from the pile. Took the cores to the weight boat on the balance to
obtain an initial mass
2. Recorded the initial mass
3. Put potato cores into 1 to the 6 numbered breakers
4. Select mass and record up to 6 potato core groups
5. Filled the each numbered breaker with 100 ml distilled water and a sugar solution
with different concentration
6. Left the breaker for 24 hours
 7. Took the potato cores from each breaker and weight the final mass use the
balance
8. Recorded the final mass calculated the “change in core mass” and “percent
change in core mass”

E. OBSERVATION
1. Table

2. Graphic
F. DISCUSSION
The observation about water potential in plant tissue is done by doing
submersion to potatoes cores for 24 hours in sucrose solution with from concentration
0.1M ; 0.2M; 0.3M; 0.4M; 0.5M and in distilled water. This is done to observe the
change mass as the influence of water potential in potatoes bulb.
The observation used potatoes because water potential is measures the
concentration of free water molecules. It is a measure tendency of these molecules to
diffuse to another area. The more free water molecule, the higher the water potential.
Water diffuses by osmosis from a region of high water potential to region of low
water potential through the water potential gradient/partially permeable
membrane(Anonim,2012).
A simple and appealing explanation for osmosis is the concentration of water
explanation--water in pure water is simply more concentrated than water in solutions
because the solute has to take up some room in the solution. According to this idea,
water diffuses into a hyperosmotic solution because it is diffusing down its
concentration gradient(Weiss,1996).
The observation result shows that the sucrose solution with concentration
0.1M , 0.2M and distilled water have change mass. It is caused the sucrose solution
0.1M and 0.2M have high water concentration than potato cell. It makes the water
from sucrose comes to cell and makes the mass of potato increase. We can say that
this sucrose solution is hypotonic and has low water potential. According to Salisbury
and Ross (1992), adding solutes to a solution decreases the concentration of water in
most cases, but in some cases solutions have a higher concentration of water. In
otherwise, solution with concentration 0.4M and 0.5M have negative change mass
which means that water of potato’s cell comes out into sucrose solution and makes the
potato mass decrease. It is caused by the water concentration in potato’s cell is higher
than in sucrose solution. So, we can say that the sucrose solution is hypertonic and has
high water potential.
The biggest percent in core mass is in distilled water. It is cause by Water is a
simple molecule, consisting of one O atom and two H atoms so that the molecular
weight of only 18 g / mol. One of the characteristics of the water molecule is a low
viscosity, so that the water can flow easily into and within plant tissues (Lakitan,
2004)
 The isotonic solution happens in solution with concentration 0.3M. It is caused
by cell and sucrose has same amount concentration and it means has same water
potential too. It is according to Malik (2008) which said that If the density of the
solution does not change, meaning water potential samples tested with the sucrose
solution.
G. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION
a. Conclusion
1. Diffusion that occurs is osmosis, it is because there is a space separated from
each other by selectively permeable membrane
2. If the water potential is high, means the concentration is low and include in
hypertonic solution.
3. If the water potential is low, means the concentration is high and include in
hypotonic solution
4. Solution with 0,1 and 0,2M has low water potential, solution 0,4 and 0,5M has
high potential, distilled water is the biggest percent mass core , and solution
0,3M is isotonic solution

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anonim,2012.Osmosis. http://alevelnotes.com/Osmosis/143. Accessed on September
20th 2013.

Lakitan, Benyamin. 2004. Dasar-Dasar Fisiologi Tumbuhan. Jakarta : Raja Grafindo

Persada.

Malik T., 2008. Potensial Air. http://one.indoskripsi.com. Di akses pada tanggal

14 November 2010.

Salisbury, Frank B. 1992. Fisiologi Tumbuhan..Bandung : ITB Bandung.

Weiss, T. F. 1996. Cellular Biophysics, Vol. 1: Transport. MIT Press, Cambridge,

MA. 693 pp.