Dialysis Diffusion Lab

Purpose/Objective:
To simulate the process of diffusion
To determine which substance(s) can diffuse through a semi-permeable membrane (dialysis tubing)
Materials:
Sugar Solution
Dialysis Tubing
Test Tube Rack
Benedicts Solution

Starch Solution
Pipettes (2)
Iodine Solution
250 ml Beaker

Glass Rod
Test Tubes (4)
String
Hot Water Bath

Procedure:
1) Prepare the dialysis tubing as follows:
- rub ends of the tubing apart between your fingers; use a glass rod to help assist you
- twist one end of the tubing, fold it over, and tightly tie off with a piece of string
2) Fill the dialysis tubing full with starch solution and full with sugar solution
3) Twist the other end of the tubing, fold it over, and tightly tie off with a piece of string.
4) Rinse the dialysis bag carefully under the sink with water and then submerge in a beaker of water
for 20 minutes.
5) Label your four test tubes: #1, #2, #3, #4 (make sure to use a distinguishing mark to identify yours)
6) After 20 minutes, take a pipette full of water from the beaker and add it to test tube #1.
7) To test for the presence of sugar, add 10 drops of Benedicts Solution to test tube #1 and heat it for 10
minutes in a hot water bath. Record your observations in the Data/Results Table.
8) Put another pipette full of water from the beaker into test tube #2.
9) To test for the presence of starch, add 3 drops of Iodine solution to test tube #2. Record your
observations in the Data/Results Table.
10) Open the dialysis bag and put one pipette full of solution from the dialysis bag into test tube #3.
11) Add 10 drops of Benedicts Solution to test tube #3 and heat it for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.
Record your observations in the Data/Results Table.
12) Put another pipette full of solution from the dialysis bag into test tube #4.
13) Add 3 drops of Iodine solution to test tube #4. Record your observations in the Data/Results Table.
14) Clean uprinsing all materials thoroughly.

Data/Results:
Test Tube #

Substance Tested
for

Location of
Solution

Description of
Color

Presence of
Substance (+ / - )

* Substance Tested for: Starch or Sugar

* Location of Solution: Beaker or Dialysis Bag
* Presence of Substance: + = positive test - = negative test
Discussion:
1) Which two substances are being tested for in this experiment?

2) Why do you rinse the dialysis bag with water before placing it into a beaker of water to soak?

3) What color did test tube #1 turn after heating? How does this compare to test tube #3? What does
this mean?

4) What color did test tube #2 turn after adding Iodine Solution? How does this compare to test tube
#4? What does this mean?

5) To which substance(s) is the dialysis tubing permeable?

6) Explain how the dialysis tubing acted like a semi-permeable membrane.

7) Explain how diffusion was demonstrated in this experiment.