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Osmosis Membrane Lab Report

Osmosis is the process by which water molecules pass through a semi permeable

membrane from a high concentration solution to a low concentration solution. Semi permeable

membrane allows molecules to pass through diffusion. Diffusion allows the transportation of

materials across membranes within cells, while osmosis allows the passage of water (Tutor

Vista). Osmosis takes place in plants and animals. The three types of osmosis are hypertonic,

isotonic, and hypotonic. A hypertonic solution is when the solute concentration is higher than of

the surrounding. For example, in hypotonic solution the water gets out of the cell making it to

shrink. Isotonic solution is when the solution of the cell and its surrounding are the same.

Hypotonic solution is when the solute concentration is lower than the concentration inside the

cell. When a cell is kept in a hypotonic solution the water gets in the cell making it swell. In

osmosis concentrated solutions have a lower concentration of water, while dilute solutions have a

higher concentration of water molecules (Tutor Vista). The figure below demonstrates the

process of osmosis.
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Demonstrating the process of Osmosis using a Potato

The experiment showed above shows how molecules of a solvent solution pass through a

semi permeable membrane from a solution that is less concentrated to more concentrated

solution. Required materials: Petri dish, a jar, solution of sugar, potato, cork and capillary tube.

Procedure

1) Use a potato tuber, remove it outer cover and cut it into equal pieces

2) Fill the jar with sugar solution and ensure the cork fitted within a capillary tube.

3) Place the capillary tube in the jar and fit a small piece of potato

4) Filled the petri dish with water

5) Observe what happens to the solution ad mark the changes.

Results

The lever of the solution rises in the tube because the osmotic pressure of the sugar is

higher than the concentration of the water. Sugar molecules are large and cannot pass through the

pores. Therefore, water molecules move by diffusion through the semipermeable membrane of

the potato from the petri dish to the jar thus leading to rise of the solution in the capillary tube.
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From the above experiment there are some factors that affect the process of osmosis. These

factors are size of solute molecules, osmotic pressure gradient and temperature.

Size of molecules

Osmosis takes place if the size of the solute molecules is too large to pass the pores of the

membrane.

Osmotic pressure gradient

The higher the pressure the faster the molecules will be pushed across the concentration

gradient.

Temperature

An increase in temperature increases the movement of molecules, and the greater the rate

of osmotic pressure.

Key Terms

1) Solute: Is any substance that can be dissolved in a solvent(liquid) to create a

solution

2) Osmosis: The movement of water molecules from a region of a higher

concentration to a region of lower concentration through a semipermeable

membrane.

3) Semipermeable membrane: It is a biological membrane that allows solutions of

molecules to pass through diffusion.

4) Osmotic pressure: It is a pressure that builds up in a solution has it experiences

osmosis which eventually stop the process.

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5) Concentrated solution: Are solutions that have a lower concentration of water

molecules while dilute solutions have a high concentration of water molecules.

The Brownian motion was discovered by Robert Brown in 1827 (Gaur et al 28).

Brownian motion is the movement of particles randomly in fluids due to collisions with other

molecules. With the movement of molecules and atoms in a liquid randomly, large particles

disperse evenly in the medium. For example ,two containers A and B contains particles ,A

contains twice the particles of B.The probality that particles will leave region A to enter B is

twice as a high as the probability a particle will move from region B to enter A.Diffusion is the

movement of molecules from a region of a high concentration to a region of low concentration

.Therefore diffusion can be considered as an example of Brownian motion due to it ability to

dissolve in substances in a state of constant random motion. Factors that affect movements of

particles in fluids influences the rate of Brownian motion. Some factors that affect the movement

of particles in fluids impact the rate of Brownian motion (Gaur et al 28). For instance, increased

temperature, increased number of particles, small particles size, and low viscosity increases the

rate of motion.

The examples of Brownian motions are the motion of pollen grains on still water,

diffusion of pollutants in the air, and diffusion of calcium through bones (Gaur et al 28). The

process of Brownian motion in osmosis can be performed through the following analysis. A

cylindrical jar that has a semi permeable membrane full of sugar solution. A beaker filled with

water. A glass tube fixed on top of the cylinder. After fixing the apparatus in the experiment, the

liquid inside the glass tube rises to a sizeable height and the water molecules passes through the

semi permeable membrane into the solution of the sugar. Therefore, Brownian motion relates
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with diffusion and osmosis when molecules of solutes and other particles are dissolved in water

they disperse in a constant motion.

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Works Cited

Gaur, Ruchi, Lallan Mishra, and Susanta K. Sen Gupta. "Diffusion and transport of molecules in

living cells." Modelling and Simulation of Diffusive Processes. Springer, Cham, 2014.

27-49.

Tutor Vista. "Osmosis." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U3CONhEbaA, 15 Mar. 2013,

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