An Investigation to determine the concentration of sugar inside potato cells

Equipment
Measuring cylinder (100ml) Potato (Maris piper) Beaker Scales Cork borer Sucrose solution 0.0 molar-1.0 molar Boiling tubes Scalpel Stop clock Test tube rack Weighing boats White tile

Independent variable
The independent variable for this experiment shall be the concentration of the solution from 0.0 molar-1.0 molar. As anything over 1.0 molar would be more than the concentration of a potato and you cant get any concentration under 0.0 molar.

Dependent variable
The dependent variable for this experiment will be the change in mass of the potato as this will allow us to work out the concentration of sugar in the potato.

Control
Weighing scales will allow us to ensure all the potatoes are the same size Mass of potato shall be controlled by the scales to make it 1g Variety of the potato will be Maris piper and that same type will be used for each test volume of sucrose shall remain at 25 ml for each test time left in solution shall be exactly the same for each potato cylinder at a time of 24 hours

Method
1. Use the cork borer to extract potato cylinders. Cut off the skins using a scalpel to remove as little of the actual potato as possible 2. Cut the cylinders to the same length and weigh them to within 0.2g of 1g 3. Measure out 25ml of the sucrose solutions and pour into the boiling tubes 4. Label the boiling tubes with initials, concentration and test number 5. Put the potatoes in the boiling tubes 6. Leave for 24 hours in an area that has a constant temperature 7. Dry of the potatoes on a paper towel ensuring that all excess liquid is removed

8. Weigh the potatoes 9. Calculate the results measuring the percentage change

Justification
We will remove the skins from the potato so the entire surface area can react with the solution We cut the cylinders to the same length so the potatoes all have the same surface area. So they all have the same amount of cells open to osmosis. However this may affect the weight to be different , but we are measuring the results based on percentage change so hopefully weight wont make a real difference we will dry the potatoes so no excess liquid will affect the weight We have left the potatoes in the sucrose solution for 24 hours as 24 hours is the optimal time for it to be left in, this is because if it was left in any longer the potato may become the weak and break apart when we try to take it out of the solution. However if its left in shorter there will not have been enough time for the osmosis to take full effect.

Preliminary Results

Start mass of potato (g) Sucrose Solution Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Average concentration (M) 0.0 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61

End mass of potato(g) Sucrose Solution concentration (M) 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 Test 1 0.83 0.97 0.88 0.69 0.65 0.56 0.5 0.44 0.49 0.44 0.47 Test 2 0.97 0.86 0.73 0.74 0.69 0.53 0.53 0.48 0.44 0.42 0.45 Test 3 0.82 0.9 0.72 0.79 0.66 0.62 0.55 0.43 0.55 0.53 0.41 Average Change in mass average(g) 0.87 0.26 0.91 0.78 0.74 0.67 0.57 0.53 0.45 0.48 0.46 0.44 0.30 0.17 0.13 0.04 -0.02 -0.08 -0.16 -0.13 -0.15 -0.17

Amendments
We must weigh out all of the potatoes so we do actually know the weight of the potato not just an estimate as we made a clear mistake in estimating the weight of the potato. We must cover the boiling tubes to prevent the sucrose solution evaporating and changing in concentration We will also work out a percentage change to more accurately represent our results

Main experiment Our range (molar)

0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65

We have decided on our range based on our preliminary work. In our preliminary test we found that 0.35-0.65 had the result closest to a 0% change. However our preliminary results were not accurate as rather than weighing the potatoes at the start we made an estimate of the weight of the potato.

Main experiment results

Start mass of potato (g) Sucrose Solution Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Average concentration (M) 0.35 0.97 0.97 0.95 0.96 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.98 0.93 0.99 1.00 0.99 0.95 0.93 0.91 0.9 0.89 0.99 0.97 0.97 0.89 0.98 0.96 0.94 0.98 0.96 0.91 0.96 0.95 0.97 0.97

End mass of potato (g) Sucrose Solution concentration (M) 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 Test Test Test Average Change 1 2 3 in mass average 0.9 0.94 0.92 0.94 -0.03 3 0.8 0.79 0.82 0.81 -0.15 3 0.7 0.73 0.72 0.74 -0.17 6 0.7 0.61 0.72 0.68 -0.28 0 0.7 0.70 0.75 0.74 -0.21 8 0.6 0.71 0.64 0.67 -0.30 7 0.6 0.60 0.58 0.62 -0.35 8 Percentage change average -3.125% -15.625% -18.681% -29.167% -22.105% -30.928% -36.082%

Analysis
Our graph does show some fairly conclusive evidence. Firstly it proves that the theory of osmosis does work through both the graph and through the results table. Also our graph shows how osmosis reaches a point where the mass of a cell levels off, in our experiment this was at a point where had the experiment been extended to higher concentrations of sucrose the mass of potato would have levelled off at a change in mass of approximately -30g, however had we continued the experiment at even higher concentrations than 1.0 molar we would have found that the mass of potato would have taken a sudden drop to a much lower weight, this is because the cells within the potato would have taken on too much water and would burst leaving all the liquid to escape from the potato making it only weigh a fraction of its original mass.

Evaluation
My test into finding the concentration of sugar in potatoes has given results in which predicting the concentration will be difficult and possibly unreliable. This is because the results produced only percentage changes which were under 0% rather than both more and less than 0% which would make the prediction more reliable as a line of best fit would cross through the x axis at the specific concentration. However through predicting the result we found that the concentration at which the potato gained or lost no weight was at a solution of 0.325 molar. Unfortunately the problem was created when testing 0.3 molar was removed from our experiment, as it was considered too high from the preliminary results which read at a loss in weight of 0.13 grams despite it actually recording a result higher than 0% in the actual experiment. Had this problem not occurred our results would be much more accurate.