Title: Investigating the effect of a range of concentrations of sucrose solutions on the mass of potato

tissue

Introduction: Osmosis is a type of diffusion specialised for water transportation. Water molecules
move from a region of high water potential to a region of low water potential down the concentration
gradient through a semi-permeable membrane. Water potential is the potential energy of water per
unit volume. It is the central tendency of where water moves from and to. This experiment will
measure the percentage change in a potato tissue's mass when immersed in different concentrated
sucrose solutions. This will give insight into the rate and concentration gradient of osmosis. Potato
tissues contain plant cells that are incapable of completely bursting. These cells have a selectively
permeable membrane, a condition required in osmosis. Potato tissues have a cell wall, which helps
keep the cell shape and not let it burst when it gets too turgid. Turgidity occurs when lots of water
moves into the vacuole more than it comes out. It happens in hypotonic solutions. It causes pressure
and tension since the cell is full of water. Animal cells do not have these cell walls, so if the cell fills
with water, it could burst. This is called lysis. When water moves out of a plant cell, it undergoes
plasmolysis, which occurs in hypertonic solutions. In an isotonic solution, water moves in and out of
the cell equally, which keeps the cell flaccid. In the experiment, we will submerge the potato tissues
into different levels of sucrose-concentrated solutions. We will record the initial and final mass to
show the osmosis movement within the potato tissue. This will help us understand how a potato
tissue’s mass changes when immersed in different solute-concentrated solutions.

Research Question: How do different sucrose concentrations (0M, 0.1M, 0.2M, 0.3M, 0.4M, 0.5M)
affect a potato tissue's mass when immersed in the solution for 20 minutes?

Aim: I will investigate how the sugar concentration of a solution affects the water movement in and
out of a potato tissue and how this affects the mass of the tissue.

Hypothesis: If the sucrose concentration of the solution is lower, water will move into the potato
tissue, making it more turgid and heavier, as seen in Figure 1. This is because when there is a low
sugar concentrated solution, there are more water particles in the solution compared to the potato cell.
Therefore, water will move from the high-water potential, the solution, to a low-water potential, the
potato tissue. The potato tissue is taking in more water, making it turgid, but it won’t burst because of
the security of the cell wall. After completing the experiment, the mass will be heavier because of the
extra water the potato tissue has absorbed. When the cell is turgid, it will be less bendable because it
is filled with water.

Water will always follow the concentration gradient. So even when there is a high sugar concentrated
solution with a low amount of water molecules, water will move from the potato tissue, where there is
a higher water potential, to the sucrose solution, with a low water potential. The potato tissue will
become plasmolysed because water leaves the cell, making it more flexible, as seen in Figure 2.
Plasmolysis occurs when there is a higher amount of water exiting the cell than entering. The cells are
free of most of their water, so when the mass is measured at the end, the weight of the potato tissue
will be less.

A hypertonic solution contains a higher sucrose concentration than water. A hypotonic solution has a
lower concentration of sugar than water. When a plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution with less
water, the water from the potato tissue will move outwards until all the water molecules reach an
equilibrium, as seen in Figure 2. It is the same when a potato tissue is placed in a hypotonic solution
so the water will move into the potato where there is a low water potential until it reaches equilibrium,
as seen in Figure 1. But sometimes, the potato tissue and the sugar concentration have already reached
an equilibrium. In this case, there is no necessity for water movement through the cell. This is an
isotonic solution, where water moves equally in and out of the plant cell, maintaining an equilibrium,
as seen in Figure 3. This makes the potato cell flaccid since water moves in and out evenly.
When placed in a low sugar concentrated solution:
Before: After:

Figure 11

When placed in a high sugar concentrated solution:

Before: After:

Figure 2

When placed in an isotonic solution:

Before: After:

Figure 3

Statistical Hypothesis
Null hypothesis: There is no significant statistical difference between the mass of a potato tissue and
the varying sucrose concentrations.
Alternative Hypothesis: There is a significant statistical difference between the mass of the potato
tissue and the varying sucrose concentrations.

Graph Sketch hypothesis:

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 Figure 4: Photo taken by Mysha on Iphone 13

I predict the graph produced with the experiment data will look like this. As the sucrose concentration
increases, the percentage change in mass decreases. As the sucrose concentration increases, there are
fewer water molecules in the solution, so water will move out of the potato tissue to reach an
equilibrium, decreasing its final mass. This relationship illustrates how solute concentrations affect
potato cells through osmosis, resulting in either a decrease or increase in mass depending on the
direction of osmotic flow.

Variables:
Type of Variable Method
Variable
Independent Sugar The concentrations used for this experiment are 0M, 0.1M, 0.2M, 0.3 M, 0.4M, and 0.5M.
concentration Use 5cm3 of each for every trial. Using varying levels of sugar concentration helps show
how different sugar concentrations can affect the mass of a potato cell, making it turgid,
flaccid or plasmolysed. Remember to use separate measuring cylinders for each
concentration so the different sugar concentrations don’t get mixed. To use less apparatus,
you can label your measuring cylinders depending on their sugar concentrations and use
the same one each time you repeat the experiment.
Dependent Percentage This is the variable that we will be measuring. Before the potatoes get added to the
change in potato different sucrose solutions a table needs to be made with the initial mass of the potato, the
tissues mass final mass of the potato (after the experiment has taken place), the change in mass and the
percentage change in mass. To calculate the percentage change in mass, you must multiply
the change in mass by 100. Since the changes in mass are very small, calculating the
percentage change in mass gives more accurate and precise data. It makes it easier to
interpret the changes when dealing with data sets that have different baseline values.

The potatoes must be cut into 3cm tubes using a cork borer and further cut every 0.5cm to
increase the rate of osmosis. Measure the mass of the 3cm potato tissue using an electronic
balance. Before measuring, you should lightly dab the potato tissue with a paper towel to
drain out the water on the surface. This ensures the surface is clear of any extra water so
that the experiment is more reliable and that all potato cylinders start with the same
 amount of water. The potato tissue mass will tell us about the movement of osmosis, either
in the potato or out of the potato, and how it depends on the different sucrose
concentrations it is placed in. The results table should look like this:
Sucrose Initial mass (g) Final mass (g) Change in Percentage
concentrations mass (g) change in mass
(mol/dm-3) (%g)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Controlled The length of The best way to cut the same diameter of potato cylinders is to use a cork borer. When
the potato cell using these tools, make sure that you use the same cork borer. By using the same cork
borer, you will not have to measure the width of the potato cells because the diameter of
the cylindrical potato will always be the same. If you cut the potatoes in rectangular form,
there would be more to measure and less accuracy. Cork borers help you cut perfect potato
cylinders, but you still need to cut out the skin at the edges of the potato cell. The potato
skin is a protective layer of a potato that does not allow water through. By cutting this out,
water can flow in and out of the potato cell in all directions. Make sure all the potato
cylinders are precisely 3cm in length. To do this, you can use a ruler. This is important to
keep controlled because if one potato tissue is longer, it has an advantage and could absorb
more water in less time. Cut at every 0.5cm of the 3cm potato to create six potato cylinders
of the same diameter. This increases the surface area of the potato, and therefore increases
the rate of osmosis. To make the test fair and equal, this variable must remain controlled
throughout all the six times you repeat this experiment. While using the scalpel, make sure
you are being safe. Your hand must remain a reasonable distance away from the scalpel.
Concentrations The concentrations of sucrose solutions need to remain the same for all six times the
of sucrose experiment is repeated. If the concentrations are slightly off, there is room for errors and
solutions wrong results. If the concentration is higher than usual, the movement and direction of the
water molecules could change. If this variable is not controlled, then the best thing to do is
repeat the experiment one more time. After the experiment is completed, you should
compare them and see if there are anomalies. This is how you could know that there was
an error with the concentrations of the sugar solutions. If all the results are around the
same range, you will know the concentrations were correct in all six repeats.
Volume of The volume of sucrose solutions must remain constant at 5cm3 as it affects the rate of
solutions osmosis. For example, if there was more than 5cm3 put in a 0.4M sucrose concentrated
solution, it might effect the concentration gradient of osmosis. Water could move in the
cell, increasing the mass because when the volume of a sucrose solution increases, so does
the amount of water in the solution.
Time that the The time the potato is left inside the solutions should be controlled because if the potato
potato cell is cell is left longer, it will have more time to absorb or give out water. Osmosis can occur
left in the for a longer time, creating errors in the results. If the potato tissue is kept in the solution
different for a short time, there is less time for it to follow osmosis. If this happens, the mass of the
concentrated potato tissues could change due to the incomplete process. To ensure no mistakes are
solutions made, the potato cells should be kept in the solution for 20 minutes. Once the potato is
added to the different sucrose solutions, start the timer for the individual sugar solutions.
This does not mean all the potato cells must be immersed in the sugar solutions
simultaneously. You should do them with a 5-minute gap so that after each timer runs out,
you have time to weigh the final mass of each potato cell with no rush. Use six timers for
each sucrose concentration.
Temperature of The temperature of the sugar solutions should be controlled so that each solution has the
the solutions same amount of kinetic energy to conduct osmosis. If one solution is more heated, the
water molecules will have a higher energy, which could speed osmosis. This makes the
 water molecules move faster in less amount of time. To ensure that all the different sugar-
concentrated solutions have the same temperature, you should leave them out for 10
minutes so they can adjust to the room temperature before conducting the experiment.
After 10 minutes, you can record the temperature of the solutions to ensure they are all the
same. If they are not, leave them out for longer. Remember to wipe the thermometer with a
paper tissue to ensure the different sugar concentrations do not mix. Make sure they are
away from sunlight and in the same environmental conditions. The trials must happen in
the same room with no adjustments so you can perform a fair and accurate experiment.
The temperature maintained should be the temperature of the room the experiment is
conducted in, around 20-25 degrees Celsius.
Type of potato If the potato cylinders come from different potatoes, the rate of osmosis could be different.
The initial amount of water in the potato could change the concentration gradient.

Location of If the glass containers with different sucrose concentrations and the potatoes are kept in
potato various areas of the room, the temperature of the containers is not constant. In one point of
the room, the temperature might be higher, which makes the water molecules move faster,
increasing the rate of osmosis. This is why the location of the experiment must be
conducted in the same place.
Glass container A cover must be kept on the glass containers during the experiment. A cover ensures that
cover the solution does not evaporate and volume of the water stays the same. If the volume of
the water changes, it could affect the concentration gradient, which creates unreliable
results. Keeping the lid on for the duration of the experiment also ensures that there is no
cross-contamination of different sucrose solutions, which improves the reliability of the
experiment.
Paper towels The drying process of the potato tissues should be the same. The same brand and type of
and blotting paper towels should be used. When drying the potato tissues after the experiment, the same
pressure amount of pressure must be put. If the pressure alters, the mass of the potato tissues could
also change. This effects the reliability of the results so it must be help constant.
Humidity of If there are varying humidity levels, it could affect the concentration gradient of osmosis.
environment If it is less humid, there are fewer water particles in the surroundings. Water from the
solution will move out and evaporate. This decreases the accuracy of the experiment.

Risk Assessment/Safety considerations

Hazard Possible Harm Precaution
Cutting yourself while using You could accidentally cut Keep a safe distance away
the scalpel yourself and this could lead to from your fingers and the
stitches or bleeding. Cutting scalpel. If you are not
yourself with a knife can cause confident or old enough to cut
severe bleeding since a scalpel the potato yourself, ask an
is very sharp. older and experienced adult to
cut it for you.
Sugar solutions getting in your Any materials that get into Wear safety glasses throughout
eye your eye can cause damage. If the whole experiment and
sugar gets in your eye, it can avoid contact of sucrose
cause harm to the retina and solutions with eyes.
cause irritation.

Control tube:
- Helps rule out factors that might affect the results
- In this case, the independent variable, sucrose concentrations, affects the results of the mean
percentage change in mass
- Control tube would be seeing what happens with the mass of a potato tissue at 0 mol/dm-3.
 - Since the amount of water molecules would be more in the distilled water, the water from the
potato would move out of the potato cell making it plasmolysed.

Reagents:
- 5 x 5cm3 of distilled water
- 5 x 5cm3 of 0.1M sucrose concentrated solution
- 5 x 5cm3 of 0.2M sucrose concentrated solution
- 5 x 5cm3 of 0.3M sucrose concentrated solution
- 5 x 5cm3 of 0.4M sucrose concentrated solution
- 5 x 5cm3 of 0.5M sucrose solution
- 30 x 3cm potato cylinders

Apparatus:
- 6 x 10cm3 measuring cylinders (EOU= 1cm3)
o Make sure to label which 10cm3 measuring cylinder used for which concentration
o Eg. Distilled water, 0.2M sugar concentration, 0.3M sugar concentration
- 1 Cork borer
- 1 electronic balance (EOU= +/-0.01g)
- 6 glass containers
o Make sure to label them so you can reuse them when you repeat the experiment
- 6 glass container lids
- 6 x 20cm3 beakers
o Label them with the different concentrations
- 6 pippetes
- 6 thermometers (EOU= 1℃)
- 1 scalpel
- 6 stopwatch/timer (EOU= 0.5 sec)
- Paper towels
- 6 weighing boats
o Make sure you label them with the different concentrations for reuse
- 1 x 30cm ruler (EOU= 1cm)

Method:
1. Label six test tubes/specimen tubes: 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 mol/dm-3
2. Measure all volumes at the meniscus level. Use a 10 cm measuring cylinder to measure 5cm
of distilled water and pour into the test tube/specimen tube labelled 0.0 mol/dm -3
3. Repeat for the 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 mol/dm of sucrose solutions. Ensure no cross-
contamination of solutions.
4. On a white tile, use a cork borer and knife to cut six potato cylinders of the same diameter.
Place the cylinders on a white tile and trim the cylinders so that they are all the same length (3
cm).
5. For each 3cm cylinder, cut at every 0.5cm to produce X6 smaller potato discs.
6. Use tweezers and blot dry each disc on a paper towel.
7. Weigh each group of 6 potato discs. Record the mass of each group.
8. Put one group of discs into each of the labelled test tubes/specimen tubes.
9. Cover the tubes and leave for at least 20 minutes.
10. After 20 minutes, pour the discs from the tubes into a beaker.
11. Using the tweezers, collect the discs and blot dry them with a paper towel.
12. Reweigh and record the new mass.
13. Rinse and dry the beaker and repeat steps 11-13 for the rest of the solutions.

Raw Data (Qualitative):

Figure 4: The different sucrose concentrations (0M, 0.1M, 0.2M, 0.3M, 0.4M, 0.5M) with cut up
potato tissue. Taken by Doris with iPhone 13 Pro max, 31 January 2024.

Raw data table (Quantitative):

Title: The effect of varying sucrose concentrations on the mass of a potato tissue (+/-0.01g), with six
trials and initial, final, and change in mass (g) recorded.

Proof of calculations (calculating change in mass):

Processed data table:

Title: The effect of different sucrose concentrations on the average mass of a potato tissue, with mean
percentage change in mass and standard deviation of mean change in mass.
Proof of calculations (calculating average of initial and final mass of all trials):

Proof of calculations (Calculating standard deviation of initial and final mass):

Proof of calculations (calculating mean percentage change in mass):

Proof of calculations (calculating standard deviation of mean % change in mass):

Title: The effect of varying sucrose concentrations on the mean percentage change in the mass of a
potato tissue.
Graph:

Data Analysis:
I found the Pearsons coefficient correlation value using the data table with the sucrose concentration
and mean % change in mass of the potato tissue. This value ranges from -1 to 1. -1 indicates a strong
negative linear relationship between the two variables. There is a strong positive linear relationship
when the value is closer to 1. A Pearsons correlation coefficient value near 0 means there is no linear
relationship between the two variables2. The value calculated was -0.97697. This value is near -1, so
there is a negative linear relationship. As the sucrose concentrations increase, the mean percentage
change in mass decreases.

When calculating the regression in Excel, the multiple-R value ranges from 0 to 1. It tells us how
strong the linear relationship is. A multiple-R value near 0 indicates there is no linear relationship
between the independent variable, and the dependent variable. When the multiple-R value is nearer to
1, it shows a perfect linear relationship between the two variables. The multiple-R value calculated in
the data was 0.97696811. This value is extremely close to 1, which suggests a strong linear
relationship between the varying sucrose concentrations and the mean percentage change in mass.

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Looking at the raw data table, I believe trial one is an anomaly. The initial and final weights of the
potato tissue for the varying sucrose concentrations were one gram over the average of the other trials.
I believe this error was a systematic error caused by the electronic balance. This means the graph will
not be precise as the results are different.

Proof of calculations (Pearson correlation coefficient):

Proof of calculations (Pearson’s regression):

Graph Analysis:
The line of best fit shows a negative relationship between sucrose concentrations and the mean
percentage change in mass of a potato tissue. At 0.1M there is a slight increase in mean percentage,
which could be considered as an anomaly. For the following concentrations, there is a gradual
decrease in mean percentage change in mass. There is a sharper decrease from 0.3M to 0.4M and a
slight increase. This increase is another anomaly since it is not following the trend.

Scientific Literature:
This graph is from an osmosis report published by Elevise3. The investigation objective was to
determine how different concentrations of sucrose solutions affected the percent change in a potato
tissue mass. The investigation used 0M, 0.2M, 0.4M, 0.6M, 0.8M and 1.0M sucrose concentrated
solutions. This is similar to this investigation's concentrations of 0M, 0.1M, 0.2M, 0.3M, 0.4M, 0.5M.

The graph above shows an exponential curve. It shows a negative, inverse relationship. As the sucrose
concentrations increase, the percentage change of the potato tissue mass decreases due to osmosis.
When the potato tissues were immersed in solutions with lower sucrose concentrations (0M to 0.2M),
the percentage mass was higher as water moved into the potato tissue. A positive percentage would
mean water is moving into the potato tissue, increasing its mass. This is evident in the graph, when
the potato tissues were immersed in lower sucrose concentrations (0M to 0.2M), the percentage mass
was higher, at around 4.4% to 0.7%.

A negative percentage change in mass would mean that water is moving out of the potato tissue to
reach an equilibrium. This decreases the final mass and makes the percentage change in mass a
negative value. This is displayed in the higher concentrations of 0.4M to 1M.

Evaluation:
Strengths:
This experiment was repeated six times with six different ranges of sucrose concentrations. This
improves the reliability of the data. There was a lack of outliers in the graph, showing that the
variables were well-controlled. The sucrose solutions were measured with a measuring cylinder. The
different concentrations were not mixed when using the apparatus. The lack of outliers in the data
proves the well-controlled variables. A strength of this investigation was the controlled variables. We

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precisely cut the potato tissues into separate cylinders using a ruler. We used the same type of potato
and completed the experiment in a controlled environment.

Weaknesses:
During the experiment, we did not maintain the temperature of the solutions. We did not use
thermometers to keep the same temperature of the six glass containers. If the temperatures were not
similar, it could change the rate of osmosis because temperature is a factor affecting it. If the
temperature increases, the kinetic energy increases, causing the water molecules to move out or into
the potato tissue faster. The results could become less accurate and precise.

In the experiment, we only used one shared timer for all the different solute concentrations. After we
dropped the potato cylinders one by one, we started a shared timer. Some potatoes got to sit in the
sucrose-concentrated solutions for longer, which changes the final mass of the potato tissue.

We also did not use a cork borer on the same parts of the potato. This could affect the rate of osmosis
since different parts of a potato have varying amounts of water. The concentration gradient could be
affected. When drying the potato cylinders, we did not dry them for the same time and with the same
pressure. Some water could have drained more from the potato tissues, decreasing their final mass.

Anomalies:
In the raw data table, trial one seems to be an anomaly. All of the results are at least 1 gram over the
rest of the results.

Improvements:
To maintain the temperature, we could have left the solutions in the lab to let them adjust to the
environment. After 10 minutes of being left out, we could check the temperatures of the solutions to
ensure they are controlled and then begin the experiment. Doing this would bring more accurate and
reliable results.

We could have also used six timers in the experiment to create more precise results. There could be
one timer for each concentration. This would be better as we can record individual times and remove
the potatoes at the right time. This allows the potatoes to sit in the solution for a controlled amount of
time, 20 minutes.

To improve the reliability of the results, we could have made sure to use the same potato and pierce
the same areas. This ensures the initial amount of water in the potato was relatively similar. When
drying the potato tissues, we could have used the same pressure and time to increase reliability.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, I believe my hypothesis mirrors my data and graph results. There is an inversely
proportional relationship between the effect of varying sucrose concentrations and the mean
percentage change in mass. In this investigation, the dependent variable was the mean % change in
mass. We used mean % change as it offers advantages over using the change in mass alone since it
facilitates the comparison across the different concentrations. Moreover, it allows for a consistent
interpretation of the magnitude of change regardless of the initial mass. The mean percentage change
accounts for variability in initial mass values. It ensures a fair comparison of changes across different
starting masses. The percentage change in mass is easier to interpret since it accommodates both
positive and negative changes.

We used the Pearsons test to calculate the regression and the correlation coefficient. We chose this
test since the data was continuous, parametric and had one independent variable. Pearson's correlation
coefficient quantifies a linear relationship between the two variables. It provides a measure of the
strength of a linear relationship. The value we found was close to -1, meaning the relationship was a
strong negative linear relationship. In addition, the regression analytical tool allows us to see how
strong the relationship between variables is. We concluded there is a strong linear relationship
between the varying sucrose concentrations and the mean percentage change in mass.

Interpreting the negative linear relationship in this investigation allows us to understand the effect of
varying sucrose concentrations on the mean percentage change in mass. We learned that as the
concentration of the sucrose concentrations increase, the mean percentage change of the potato tissue
decreases. The potato tissues final mass is determined by the direction of the concentration gradient.
When there are high-solute concentrated solutions, there are fewer water molecules. This means water
moves down the concentration gradient from a high-water potential, the potato, to a low water
potential, the solution. We can see this in the data, as the high concentrations have a lower mean
percentage change in mass. Water moved out of the potato tissue. This displays that the data supports
our hypothesis.