Baraka Abdullah

Professor Joubin
Bio 103 Lab
11 October 2022

Post Lab 4

A. Monitoring Osmosis Through a Dialysis Membrane

Row 1 Row 2 Row 3 Row 4 Row 5 Row 6 Row 7

Beaker Solutio Mass of Initial Mass Initial Mass Final Final Percent
n the of the (g) of the Mass of Mass Change
in Clips (g) Solution in Solution in the (g) of the in
Dialysis the the Solution Solution Mass (%)
Bag Dialysis Dialysis in the in of the
Bag + Bag Dialysis the Solution
Clips (Row 3 – Bag Dialysis
(g) Row + Clips (g) Bag
2) (Row 5-
2)

A RO 11 g 23 g 12 g 26 g 15 g 13%
Water

B 0.2 M 11 g 22 g 11 g 26 g 15 g 18.2%
Sucrose

C 0.6 M 11 g 24 g 13 g 27 g 16 g 12.5%
Sucrose

D 1M 11 g 23 g 12 g 29 g 18 g 26.1%
Sucrose

B. Observing Osmosis in Living Potato Cells

Beaker Solution in Initial Mass of Final Mass of Percentage

Beaker Potatoes (g) Potatoes (g) Change in
Mass (%)

A RO Water 43g 47 9.3%

B 0.1 M Sucrose 38g 41 7.9%

C 0.3 M Sucrose 54g 56 3.7%

D 0.8 M Sucrose 48g 45 -6.25%

Results: Exercise A Graph
Results: Exercise B Graph

● 0.1 M sucrose is hypotonic, 0.3 M is hypotonic, and 0.8 is hypertonic. According to the
graph if it was in a sucrose solution of about 0.5 M it would be isotonic.
IV. Conclusion

In exercise A, my partner and I gathered all the materials needed for the lab. We first got
8 dialysis clips and separated them into groups of 2. We assigned each group a beaker labeled
A, B, C, and D. Each beaker contained 200 mL of RO water. We weighed 2 of the clips and
recorded the weight. We did not weigh all the clips; we just used the same weight for the
previously weighed clips and assumed that the rest will be the same weight. We prepared 4
dialysis bags and clipped each end with a clip. We then added 10 mL of each solution into the
bag and sealed it by folding it and clipping that end as well. We recorded the initial mass of the
dialysis bag with the clips on. We then added each dialysis bag to its respective beaker at the
same time and allowed them to sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, we removed the dialysis
bags from the beakers and patted them dry with a paper towel. We record the final mass of
each bag. We then had to calculate the percent change in mass by using the following formula:
[(final mass - initial mass)/ initial mass]*100. The masses of all the dialysis bags increased.
They increased because the solution that the dialysis bag was soaked in is hypotonic which is
indicated by the swelling of the bag which means they gained mass. This means that water
moved from the solution outside the bag into the bag. The osmolarity of the concentration of
solutes dissolved in water is lower than the concentration of solutes in the dialysis bag. The
osmotic potential has increased.

In exercise B, we used 500 mL beakers and labeled them A, B,C, and D. We measure
1590 mL of each solution and add to their respective beaker. We get 40 pieces of potatoes and
separate them into 4 groups; 10 on each weigh boat. We weigh and record their masses. We
rinse the potatoes in RO water and pat them dry. The potatoes are added into each beaker
containing sucrose and one containing RO water. We waited for 30 minutes for the potatoes to
incubate and then they were taken out, dried and weighed. We calculate the difference in mass
in percent using the formula: [(final mass - initial mass)/ initial mass]*100. The masses of the
potatoes in RO water, 0.1 M sucrose, and 0.3 M sucrose all increased in mass but the potatoes
in 0.8 M sucrose decreased. As the sucrose was increased, the potatoes gained mass but in
smaller amounts until it became hypertonic to the solution it was submerged in, which is
indicated in the 0.8 M sucrose solution.

V. Post-Laboratory Questions
1. The definition of osmosis includes the net movement of water because the net movement of
water is from a region of high water concentration where there are less solutes to a region of
low water concentration where there are more solutes through a selectively permeable
membrane.

2. The plant cell that was placed in pure water will take in water molecules by osmosis because
the water potential of the cell is lower than that of the water surrounding meaning it was placed
in a hypotonic solution. However, due to its strong cellulose wall, the cell will not burst. It will
become turgid (swollen and hard).

3. The animal cell that was placed in pure water would fill up with water and burst due to the fact
that the cell membrane is semi-permeable, allowing osmosis to occur.

5.
a. The sucrose in the high concentration area will move to the low concentration area to bring
the system to equilibrium.
b. Some of the sucrose will rusch out of the dialysis bag to the surrounding because there is
more sucrose outside of the bag.
c. Nothing would happen if both the dialysis bag and the beaker had the same sucrose because
its isotonic.