Aim: To investigate the relationship between water potential and the rate of osmosis.

Hypothesis
Experimental: if a potato is placed in a sucrose solution with a lower water potential than in
the potato then the mass of the potato will decrease because water will move out of the
potato towards the concentration gradient
Null: f a potato is placed in a sucrose solution with a lower water potential than in the
potato then the mass of the potato will remain the same because water will not move
either way

Material
Six boiling tubes, labels or marker pen, test-tube rack, sharp knife/cork borer, chopping
board, potato tuber tissue (solanum tuberosum), paper towels, balance weighing to 0.01 g,
100 cm^3 of 1 mol dm^-3 sucrose solution, 100 cm ^3 of distilled water

Procedure
Preparing serial dilutions:
1. Six boiling tubes were labelled 1 to 6.
2. Six different dilution of sucrose solution were made using distilled water and 1 mol
dm^-3 sucrose solution. Each mixture were shake thoroughly.
Determining water potential of potato:
1. Six potato tuber sections that was at least 10mm in width and 50 mm long were cut
using a sharp knife/cork borer.
2. Surface moisture on each section were gently blot. The first section was weight and
placed into tube 1. The mass was noted. It is repeated for tube 2 to 6.
3. The potato tuber section was left in the sucrose solutions for at least 30 minutes.
4. The tuber section was removed one at a time. The surface of the potato was blotted
and later weighed
5. The percentage change in mass of each section was calculated using the formula :
___
6. The percentage change in mass was plotted against the molarity of the sucrose
solution.
7. Point where the line of the graph crosses the x-axis was found which is when the
molarity of a solution that has a water potential was equal to the water potential of
the potato tuber cell.

Safety Precautions:
1. Googles, gloves and lab coat are to be wore at all time
2. Use knifes and other sharp instrument with care
3. Read labels carefully
4. Set apparatus far from the edge of the desk
5. Long hair should be tied
6. Do not dispose any chemical solution in the sink
7. Wash hands before and after the experiment

Discussion:
Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from high water potential to low water
potential down the concentration gradient. In a hypertonic solution where the
concentration of the sucrose solution is higher than in the potato, water molecules move
out of the potato. However, in a hypotonic solution where the concentration of the sucrose
solution is lower than in the potato, water molecules move into the potato. While in a
isotonic solution, solute concentration are equal, thereby no net movement.

When the concentration of the sucrose solution increases from 0 to 0.2 mol dm^-3,
percentage change in mass decrease to ___%, ____% and ___% towards the x-axis. At this
hypertonic solution the potato gain its mass causing a positive value of percentage change.
On the other hand, in a isotonic solution where the concentration of sucrose solution
reaches 0.4 and meet the x-axis, there are no change in mass because the water potential of
the solution are equal to inside the potato. Finally, as the concentration of the hypotonic
sucrose solution keeps decreasing from 0.4 to 1 molarity below the x-axis, water molecules
moves out of the potato therefore it loses its mass at __% and ___%

In the graph shown, there was an anomaly result for the 0.6 molarity test which should
have 4.6 % change in mass.

Conclusion: