The effect of salt concentration (+/- 0.01g) on the size of potato pieces (+/- 0.

1cm)
in Solanum tuberosum

Aim: To determine the effect of osmosis by measuring the change in size of potato pieces
in different concentrations of salt.
Safety Precautions: The knife and potato peeler were handled and used with care.
Ethical Considerations: No major ethical problems since potatoes were used. Leftover
potatoes from the experiment were put into a compost bin to avoid wastage.
Research Question: Will salt concentration have an effect of the size of potato pieces
(solanum tuberosum)?
Background Information: Osmosis is a form of passive transport which deals with the
transport of water molecules from a higher water potential to a lower water potential
through a partially permeable membrane. This ensures that cells don’t shrivel or burst as
they regulate solute and water concentration inside the cell. In plant cells, when placed
in a hypotonic solution (when there is a higher solute concentration inside the cell)
water will start entering the cell causing the cell to push against its cell wall and maintain
turgidity. Whereas in a hypertonic solution, to balance out the higher solute
concentration outside the cell, water will start exiting the cell which means there will be
less water to maintain turgidity of the cell.
Hypothesis: With the increase in salt concentration, the size of the potato pieces will
reduce due to osmosis in a hypertonic solution, where water will leave the cell causing it
to shrivel.
Variables:
Independent Variable: The independent variable that was changed was the amount of
salt (in grams) added to 20 ml of water. This meant there were five cups with varying
amounts of salt in each (0.0g, 1.4g, 2.8g, 4.2g and 5.6g). The salt amount was varied in
equivalent increments (1.4g). A standard teaspoon measure was used to add it into
water. This can allow for a variety of settings to be tested and help further prove the
hypothesis.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable that is measured is the size of potatoes
after the experiment is done. This was measured in centimetres (cms) and a scale was
used to measure the pieces before and after.
Controlled Variable:
- Duration for which potatoes were kept in the water: 15 minutes was the chosen
time to keep the potatoes soaked in the individual cups. This was regulated by
putting all batches of potatoes at the same time and by maintaining a timer along
with it. It is important to keep the time constant to avoid unreliable and inaccurate
test results and because lesser time in water means the potato was undergo lesser
osmosis.
- The size of the potatoes: All potatoes were cut and measured to be the same
dimensions using a ruler. The size of the potatoes was roughly (0.5cm x 0.5cm x
3.0cm). Different surface area to volume area ratios would result in faster or
slower osmotic rates between the potatoes which would not help in drawing
accurate results.
- Water content in each cup: In all five cups (and in all batches) the water used was
constant and the amount used was 20ml. A measuring cup with 10cm3 graduations
was used to measure this. Different water amounts would result in different
concentrations of solute when the salt was added in. Hence to keep osmotic
conditions similar, controlled amount of water is required.
- Type of potato: The same or the same type of potato should be used throughout
the experiment. Different potatoes could osmo-regulate at different rates which
would not allow you to get accurate results for the experiment.
Procedure:
Materials Required:
- 2 potatoes
- Knife
- Ruler
- Standard measuring teaspoons
- Measuring cups with 10cm3 graduations
- 300ml distilled water
- Cutting board
- 5 cups or bowls
- 42g salt (sodium chloride)
- Spoon/stirrer
- Potato peeler
Method:
1. Peel the potatoes and using a ruler cut pieces of potatoes with dimensions 0.5cm x
0.5cm x 3.0cm as precisely as possible and try to get all of them to be as similar as
possible as this will be one of the control variables.
2. Cut 3 pieces of potatoes for each cup which means 15 pieces per trial of the
experiment.
3. In the five cups, using a measuring cup, measure out 20ml of distilled water each
making this one of the controlled variables of the experiment.
4. Add no salt to the first cup, add ¼ teaspoons (1.4g) of salt to the second, ½
teaspoons (2.8g) to the third, ¾ teaspoons (4.2g) to the fourth and 1 teaspoon
(5.6g) to the fifth cup. This is the independent variable that is changed in every cup
in the experiment. The cup with no salt will act as the control opposing the other
cups which have a certain concentration of salt.
5. Stir the cups to dissolve the salt completely.
6. Before you put the potatoes in the cups, measure them again and write up the
correct measurements in a table and calculate the volume of the potatoes.
 7. Set a timer for 15 minutes and place three potato pieces in each and let it soak.
Make sure that all the potatoes are placed in the water around the same time as it
is crucial that the amount of time the potato is soaked is constant.
8. After 15 minutes, take the potatoes out and measure the dimensions and calculate
the volume and record this in the data table.
9. Discard the water in the cups and rinse thoroughly.
10. Repeat the experiment two more times.
Raw data table:
The table below indicates the measurements taken for all the pieces in each cup in each
trial. The volume was calculated before and after, and the difference was observed:
trial 1 trial 2 trial 3
cups amt. of salt pieces initial reading final reading difference initial reading final reading difference initial reading final reading difference
(grams) volume (cm3)(+/- 0.1cm) volume (cm3)(+/- 0.1cm) volume (cm3)(+/- 0.1cm)
piece 1 1.05 1.05 0.00 1.04 1.12 -0.07 0.87 0.90 -0.03
A 0.0 piece 2 0.90 1.05 -0.15 0.87 0.90 -0.03 0.72 0.74 -0.02
piece 3 0.81 0.90 -0.09 1.22 1.30 -0.08 0.56 0.90 -0.34
piece 1 0.78 0.70 0.08 0.87 0.72 0.15 0.75 0.45 0.30
B 1.4 piece 2 0.87 0.84 0.03 0.93 1.01 -0.08 0.99 0.87 0.12
piece 3 1.08 0.90 0.18 0.90 0.90 0.00 0.72 0.45 0.27
piece 1 0.93 0.52 0.41 0.97 0.94 0.04 0.75 0.73 0.03
C 2.8 piece 2 1.42 1.01 0.41 1.22 0.87 0.35 0.75 0.73 0.03
piece 3 1.05 0.95 0.11 0.81 0.75 0.06 0.60 0.52 0.08
piece 1 1.08 1.01 0.07 1.13 1.04 0.09 1.08 0.87 0.21
D 4.2 piece 2 0.90 0.84 0.06 0.90 0.75 0.15 0.75 0.70 0.05
piece 3 0.75 0.56 0.19 1.08 0.60 0.48 0.87 0.84 0.03
piece 1 1.05 0.70 0.35 1.30 0.74 0.56 0.90 0.72 0.18
E 5.6 piece 2 0.87 0.75 0.12 1.05 1.04 0.01 1.12 0.93 0.19
piece 3 0.90 0.75 0.15 1.08 0.84 0.24 0.93 0.87 0.06

Processed data table:

This table includes the average initial and final reading and the difference among all 3
trials:
average of trials
cups amt. of salt pieces initial reading final reading difference
(grams) volume (cm3)(+/- 0.1cm)
piece 1 0.99 1.02 -0.03
A 0.0 piece 2 0.83 0.90 -0.07
piece 3 0.86 1.03 -0.17
piece 1 0.80 0.62 0.18
B 1.4 piece 2 0.93 0.91 0.02
piece 3 0.90 0.75 0.15
piece 1 0.88 0.73 0.16
C 2.8 piece 2 1.13 0.87 0.26
piece 3 0.82 0.74 0.08
piece 1 1.10 0.97 0.12
D 4.2 piece 2 0.85 0.76 0.09
piece 3 0.90 0.67 0.23
piece 1 1.08 0.72 0.36
E 5.6 piece 2 1.01 0.91 0.10
piece 3 0.97 0.82 0.15
Conclusion:
It is determined by testing these potato cubes that an increase in salt content and
concentration increases the rate of osmosis and hence decreases the size of potato
pieces. This is due to the solutions being hypertonic in nature. This corelation can be
observed in the data tables where a decrease in volume of potato pieces placed in salt
concentrated water was observed.

Evaluation:
The overall results show that with higher amounts of salt in the water the potatoes
undergo a increased rate of osmosis which ended up in a greater mass difference. The
data of cups B, C, D and E, showed that the solution was hypertonic compared to the
cytoplasm of the potato which caused the water to move out of the cell to regulate the
salt content outside the cell. In cup A, where there was no salt, the solution was
hypotonic compared to the potato cytoplasm and hence to regulate the concentrations,
water entered the cells and hence there was an increase in size in the pieces. Three
separate trials were conducted with the same conditions, which would be averaged out
in the end to provide more reliable and accurate results. Basic human errors, for example
a miscalculation of the volume of the pieces, could end up with anomalous results. To
improve this, a sensitive electronic balance could be used to measure with precision and
to improve accuracy a tool could be used that provides constant dimensions for all. Other
small errors that can occur are, excess water being present after taking the potatoes out
of the cup, environmental factors such as heat and room temperature.

Bibliography:
https://schoolworkhelper.net/effect-of-salt-concentration-on-osmosis-in-potato-cells-
lab-answers/