Lab Report on Osmosis in Potato

Title: Effects of Osmosis

Aim: To observe the effects of high and low concentration of a potato

Apparatus: two glass containers, two potato strips measuring 3x1 cm, two beakers one of which would contain fresh water and the other would contain a salt solution, a ruler and a stop watch.

Method: First you must already have your potato strips measuring 3x1 cm, place one of each potato in each of the containers. Ensure to feel the texture of the potatoes and observe the size of them. You would now pour in your salt solution in one of the containers and the fresh water in the other. After doing that, let the potatoes remain there and calculate 30-45 minutes on your stop watch. After the time is up, observe the two potatoes texture and size. You would now find that the potato in the fresh water would have swell due to the high concentration of the water outside the potato, which would travel into the potato (cytosis) while the potato in the salt solution would shrink due to the low concentration of the water outside the potato, the water inside the potato would then travel out into the salt solution (plasmolysis). Then you feel the texture of the potato. It should have a different texture than before. The potato in the fresh water would now be hard and stiff while the potato in the salt solution would feel soft and bendy. The potato in the fresh water would now have grown a bit whether in length or width and the potato in the salt solution now would have shrank a bit whether in length or width.

Result:

First

texture

Final

texture

First

length

Final