Kalina Mishev

December 14, 2015

Water Potential of Sweet Potatoes versus White Potatoes Lab

Table 1: Raw Data Table of Personal Results
Mass of Sweet Potatoes Placed in Solutions (+/-0.005g)
Solution (+/- 0.05M)
Distilled water (0)
0.2M sucrose
0.4M sucrose
0.6M sucrose
0.8M sucrose
1M sucrose

Initial mass
10.94
10.66
10.7
12.15
10.45
11.39

Final Mass
12.05
11.07
10.79
11.54
9.65
10.54

Table 2: Qualitative Data Table of Personal Results

Consistency

Initial
Hard/solid

Color

Orange

Final
Slightly softer,
soggier
Darker orange,
brown

Before the chopped sweet potatoes were soaked in sucrose concentration, they were rigid and
hard. When they were taken out of the liquid 24 hours later, they were slightly softer and soggy,
as they were infused with liquid. Similarly, before they were soaked, they were dark orange.
After they were taken out of the sucrose concentration, however, they were darker orange. They
also increased in size as they absorbed the sucrose.
Table 3: Raw Data Table of Class Results (White Potato)
Mass of White Potato (+/-0.1g)

DW
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1

Group 4(EH/KM)
Group 6(KP/JS)
Group 7(MS/CM) W Group 1 (RR/CD)
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
11.39
11.92
10.99
11.16
11.71
12.44
11.5 12.2
9.92
9.76
10.95
10.63
11.08
10.94
11.66 11.79
11.23
9.55
11.94
10.49
11.23
9.84
11.42 10.2
10.87
8.35
10.95
8.62
10.34
8.03
11.95 8.31
11.12
7.89
11.98
8.75
10.83
7.72
11.22 8.29
10.69
6.94
11.4
7.89
10.61
6.96
11.24 7.81

Kalina Mishev
December 14, 2015
Table 4: Raw Data Table of Class Results (Sweet Potato)
Mass of Sweet Potato (+/-0.1g)

DW
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1

Group 2 (MS/HC) Group 3 (SH/KM) Group 5(BG/PB) Group 8(PR/CM)

Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
9.74
10.6
10.49
12.05
10.8
11.9
11.67
12.46
10.04
10.19
10.66
11.07
9.8
9.9
11.3
11.33
8.92
8.85
10.7
10.79
11.6
11.6
12.58
12.52
9.89
9.09
12.15
11.54
10.8
10
11.31
10.14
11.49
9.59
10.45
10.45
10.6
9.6
11.19
9.75
10.9
10.13
11.39
10.45
9.6
8.1
11.14
9.4

Table 5: Percent Change in Mass (+/-0.1%) of White Potatoes

Concentrati
on of
Group
Group
Group
Sucrose (M) 4
6
7
Group 1
0
4.4
1.8
5.9
6.1
0.2
-1
-3.6
-1.8
0.9
0.4
-14.3
-11.7
-12.5
-10.5
0.6
-22.9
-21.8
-22.5
-30.8
0.8
-28.8
-26.7
-28.7
-25.9
1
-35.5
-30.7
-33.9
-30.4
Table 6: Percent Change in Mass (+/-0.1%) of Sweet Potatoes
Concentrati
on of
Group
Group
Group
Sucrose (M) 2
3
5
Group 8
0
9.3
15.2
10.2
6.8
0.2
2
3.7
10.1
0
0.4
0
0.9
0
-0.8
0.6
-8.1
-5.7
-8
-10.6
0.8
-16.5
0
-10.4
-12.5
1
-7.4
-7.9
-15
-15.3
Table 7: Processed Data of Personal Results

Kalina Mishev
December 14, 2015

Table 8: Processed Data for White Potatoes

Concentrati
on of
Avg +1
Avg - !
% within
Sucrose (M) Avg
Std dev STD
STD
1 STD
0
4.6
2
6.5
2.6
100
0.2
-1.4
1.9
0.5
-3.2
50
0.4
-12.3
1.6
-10.7
-13.8
75
0.6
-24.5
4.3
-20.2
-28.7
75
0.8
-27.5
1.5
-26.1
-29
75
1
-32.6
2.5
-30.1
-35.1
75
Table 9: Processed Data for Sweet Potatoes
Concentrati
on of
Avg +1
Avg - !
% within
Sucrose (M) Avg
Std dev STD
STD
1 STD
0
10.4
3.5
13.9
6.9
50
0.2
4
4.4
8.3
-0.4
75
0.4
0
0.7
0.7
-0.7
50
0.6
-8.1
2
-6.1
-10.1
50
0.8
-9.9
7
-2.8
-16.9
100
1
-11.4
4.3
-7.1
-15.7
100
Graph of Personal Results

Kalina Mishev
December 14, 2015

Percent Change in Mass of Sweet Potatoes in Different COncentrations of Sucrose (+/-0.5%)

Graph of Class Results

Percent (%) Change in Mass of Potatoes in Different Concentrations of Sucrose (+/-0.5%)

20
10
0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
Percent (%) Change in Mass -10
-20
-30
-40

Concentration of Sucrose (M)

Avg (W) Avg (S)

Sample equation for all processing done

1. Calculating the mean percent change in mass of sweet potatoes at 0.8M concentration
[(Final Initial) / (Initial)] x 100 = mean percent change in mass at certain concentration
[(9.59-11.49)/(11.49)] x 100 = -16.5
2.

Calculating the mean of percent change in white potatoes at 1M concentration

[(-35.5) + (-30.7) + (-33.9) + (-30.4)]/4 = -32.6

Kalina Mishev
December 14, 2015
3.

Standard deviation of the percent change in mass of white potatoes at 1M concentration

(((-35.5+-32.6)^2+(-30.7+-32.6)^2+(-33.9+-32.6)^2+(-30.4+-32.6)^2))/4) = 2.5

Statistical test
Correlational Coefficient = 0.98
Conclusion
1. As the concentration of the solvent, sucrose, increased, there was a greater percent
change in mass of both types of potatoes.
2. The percent change of mass in white potatoes was higher, as seen when the white potato
mass decreased to a lower value than the sweet potatoes, therefore, the water potential of
sweet potatoes is higher than that of white potatoes.