Diffusion Osmosis Lab

Osmosis
• Osmosis = the movement of water molecules from a region of
higher water potential to a region of lower water potential
through a partially permeable membrane. Osmosis is considered in
terms of water potential and solute potential.
 Water Potential
• Water potential = a measure of the kinetic energy of
water molecules. Here, water molecules are constantly
moving in a random fashion. Some of them collide
with cell membrane, cell wall, creating a pressure on
its known as water potential.

• The higher their kinetic energy the more they move

and hit the membrane, therefore higher the water
potential
 Water potential
How does water move? Why does water move?

1. Downhill
Pressure potential
2. Hose, straw

3. Fresh – salty Osmotic/solute potential

4. Sponge Matric potential

 Components of Water Potential

1. Pressure potential: pushing (positive pressure, like the hose)

sucking (negative pressure, like a straw)
Major factor moving water through plants

2. Osmotic, or Solute potential: reduction in water potential due

to the presence of dissolved solutes
Dissolved substances dilute pure water, so
salty water has lower water potential (lower concentration) than pure water
 Water Potential
• Unit of measurement: megapascals (Mpa)
1 MegaPascal = 10 atm = 145.1 psi
• Water potential for pure water: 0
• Anything that lowers the “free energy”of water
lowers it potential.
-dissolved solutes
Water potential = pressure potential + solute potential
 Clarifying Water Potential Values
• (2) Factors to consider:
p = pressure potential (outside & inside)
s = solute potential
system = p + s
SO……

 p results in “+” value

 p results in “-” value
 Water Potential Values
• High water potential (+Value):
- less solute
- more water
- (hypotonic)

• Zero (0) Value:

- Pure water

• Low water potential (-Value):

- More solute
- less water
- (hypertonic)

****Water will move across a membrane in the direction of the lower water potential****
 Analysis of the Data Collected
• Mass Difference: Final – initial (absolute diff.)
• % Change in Mass: Final – initial x 100
initial
**Why do we use the % change in mass instead of simply the
straight difference?
• Plot your data on the graph.
• Determine the molar solute concentration of the potato cores.
How???
***Where your line crosses the “0” mark
 Calculating Solute Potential
• Variables involved: i, C, R, T
i = ionization constant: NaCl = 2.0 (Na+ & Cl-)
**for sucrose it will be 1.0 (it doesn’t ionize)
C = Molar concentration of your potato (graph)

R= rate constant: 0.0821 L · atm (bar)

mol · K
T = Temperature: K
 Calculating the Solute Potential (s)

• s = - iCRT
• Sample Calc.
A 1.0 M sugar solution @ 22° C under standard
atmospheric conditions:
s = -(1)(1.0mol)(0.0821 L · bar )(295K)
L mol · K
s = -24.22 bars
 Typical Water Potential Values
• Outside air (50% humidity): -100 MPa
• Outside air (90% humidity): -13 MPa
• Leaf Tissue: -1.5 MPa
• Stem: -0.7 MPa
• Root: -0.4 MPa
• Soil water: -0.1 MPa
• Hydrated soil (Saturated) +2 - +5 MPa

** When the soil is extremely dry what happens to the water potential
and water movement into the plant?
**Does the value become more negative or more positive?
Water Potential in Plants
 Water Balance (pg. 117-118)
• Osmoregulation~ control of
water balance
• Hypertonic~ higher concentration
of solutes
• Hypotonic~ lower concentration
of solutes
• Isotonic~ equal concentrations of
solutes
• Cells with Walls:
• Turgid (very firm)
• Flaccid (limp)
• Plasmolysis~ plasma membrane
pulls away from cell wall
Dialysis Tubing Experiment
 An Artificial Cell
Permeable to: monosaccharides & water
Impermeable to: Disaccharides