Camilo Ayala, Diego Lancheros, y Samuel Chaparro

Biology
12/03/20

Osmolarity Laboratory

1. Introduction
The osmolarity is referred to the number of the ionic species in the molarity, that the changes
that are towards that, it all depends on the species that are being examined, in this case the
plants. The osmolarity is calculated as the sum of the molar ionic species. It varies towards
the type of species that is being measured and calculated. Some of the solutes that can be
tested with the process of osmolarity, are the proteins, ions and the glucose that are found in
the water of the cell. Another useful term known for understanding the osmolarity is the
water potential, and is calculated with the sum of the solute and the pressure potentials.

There are three types of ways in which the osmolarity can be estimated,this is hypotonic,
isotonic and hypertonic solutions. The hypotonic is when there are high concentrations of
water potential outside, but high inside, causing an osmotic uptake of the water. The isotonic
is when the water potential is equal inside and outside the cell, causing that there is no
movement in relation to the water. Finally the hypertonic solution is when there is lower
water potential outside the cell, and high water potential inside the cell, causing an osmotic
loss in the water.

Some of the solvent properties of the water that are necessary for performing this lab practice,
is that the water is a polar compound, when this is polar, we know that this molecule is
neutral. When the water mixes with a solute for making separating compounds. During this
experiment, there is going to be used a plant cell, this is because, there is no possibility of
using animal of human cells for us, instead we used potatoes for it to be easier to test the
information, we also use this also because the tubes have the chemical ability of having
“large starage cells, it make larger volumes of water to enter the cell, allowing for observable
changes in the sample” (Biology SL, P.1.2)

2. Objective
The objective plant in the practice is to identify one of the aspects that are related towards the
homeostatic conditions the cells have inside their own membrane, the balance of the water
and the solutes inside this one.

3. Research question
How do the homeostatic conditions of the cells react in different balances of solutions?

a. Variables
INDEPENDENT: Concentration the solution, with this we could know the way how the
same solution is affecting the plant membrane
DEPENDENT: Mass Change, with this we are seeing how the plant membrane is going to
change
CONTROL: TIme in the solution, we could know the amount of time in which the the
plants are inside of the solution

b. Hypothesis
We can see how the osmolarity and the weight of the potatoes increase, depending with the
amount of solute, that the potatoe is tested

4. Methodology

Method
1. Peel and cut 2 potatoes into several pieces.
2. Measure the weight of all the pieces
3. Divide the pieces by similar weights into 5 groups
4. Mix 5 solutions on 5 different beakers with 100 ml of water. beaker 1-0g salt, beaker
2-1g salt, beaker 3-2g salt, beaker 4-3g salt and beaker 5-4g salt
5. Make sure all the solutions are completely homogenous
6. Insert the groups of potatoes into each beaker simultaneously
7. Leave solutions for 30 minutes
8. Take out the potatoes and dry each piece
9. Remeasure the weight of each peace
10. Identify the difference of weight of each piece.

a. Materials

Tabla 2. Materials that were used during the laboratory practice.

Quantity Materials

2 Potatoes
 100 mL Water ( H 2 O )

5.5g Salt (NaCl)

6 Beakers

1 Weight Scale

1 Knife
b. Reactivos

Table 3. Reactive that was used during the laboratory practice.

Quantity Name Description

5g NaCl Is one of the most common elements on earth.

Is an ionic salt. It can be found in the sea and
(Sodium Chloride) in some rocks

100 mL H2O The water is the most important source in the

earth, because without this resource any living
(Water) thing can survive

5. Results
5.1 Data Table

Masa inicial papa (g) Masa final papa (g)

Beaker #1 (H2O) 1.43 1.54

1.44 1.62

1.41 1.51
Beaker #2 (NaCl) 1.24 1.27

1.29 1.35

1.24 1.28

Beaker #3 (NaCl) 1.03 0.94

1.02 0.90

1.04 0.95

Beaker #4 (NaCl) 1.12 0.91

1.16 1.00

1.15 0.98

Beaker #5 (NaCl) 1.25 0.96

1.22 0.91

1.26 1.05

5.3 Data Results

Salt Concentration
(g/100mL) Initial potato mass Final Potato mass Change in mass Average change in mass
(g) (g) (%) (%)

0 1,43 1,54 11 13

1,44 1,62 18

1,41 1,51 10

1 1,24 1,27 3 4,333333333

1,29 1,35 6

1,24 1,28 4

2 1,03 0,94 -9 -10

1,02 0,9 -12

1,04 0,95 -9

3 1,12 0,91 -21 -18

1,16 1 -16

1,15 0,98 -17

4 1,25 0,96 -29 -27

1,22 0,91 -31

1,26 1,05 -21

5.4 Gráficas
Graph 1. Average Change in Mass (%)
 6 Discusión

Taking into account the Research Question, and looking at the data that the experiment
throughout and comparing it with our hypothesis, the osmolarity and the weight of the
potatoes increase, depending with the amount of solute, that the potato is tested. The
experiment shows how as the percentage of water decreases, the change in weight is each
time less. This occurs as the potato absorbs a quantity of water according to the type of
solution it was submerged in, what the experiment shows is that as the solution starts to turn
into each time more to a hypertonic solution, the potato will began to “lose” water from his
inside into the solution as the solution tries to balance itself, same percentage of solute as
there is of solvent.

7 Conclusión y Evaluación
7.1 Conclusión

Analyzing the data and the graphs that were planted towards the “Data Analysis”, we could
see that when the amount of salt solution increase in g/ml, the final mass of the potatoe
decrease as well as the average change in mass (%), this is because when the calculations are
made for achieve this percentage. When the line graphs were planted, with the blue line we
can see in a more direct way how the average change in the mass begins to decrease since the
first time in which the salt is inserted in the potatoes, we could see how it passes through a
13% of average mass to -27%, because the amount of mass at the end of the time was less
than the one tested at the beginning of the practice

7.2 Evaluación

The method used for performing this lab practice, we consider was accurate and acceptable,
because with these we could achieve the goal of determining how the average change in the
mass (%), could change in a very big way, even passing into the negative zone, when the
mass is very low. An aleatory error could be considered that one of our partners couldn’t
participate in the lab practice, causing that the others two have had more things to do in the
only two hours that they had to perform the lab practice. This could affect the time
management, because of all the things that needed to be done. All of the instruments that
were used during the practice had good amounts and were permitted to analyze all of the
distinct results, which were among the error rate and caused that all of the data required was
measured in a very good way. That was also important that all of the data was taken in a very
precise way, not causing any type of aleatory errors. The type of investigation that was used
for this was good letting know which were the things that were necessary to be changed
through all of the experiment, and with this we could also know how to avoid systematic and
most of all, the aleatory errors that could appear towards the distinct parts through the
practice.

8. Referencias

GAMMON, E. (2010). Química general. México: Cengage.

Gagné, F. (2014). Osmolarity. Retrieved March 26, 2020, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/osmolarity

Solvent properties of water (article). (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/water-acids-and-bases/hydrogen-bonding-
in-water/a/water-as-a-solvent

www.app.kognity.com Biology SL P.1.2 Investigating the osmolarity of plant tissues

Retrieved 2020-03-26

Cloruro de sodio: NaCl: Usos, beneficios e información sobre la seguridad. (2018, May 1).
Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/es/cloruro-de-sodio/