Q1. Osmosis is the movement of water through partially permeable cell membranes.

A group of students investigated the effect of temperature on the rate of osmosis in potato cells.
The students used five potato chips all cut to the same size.

Figure 1 shows one chip.

Figure 1

This is the method used.

1. Half fill a boiling tube with distilled water.

2. Heat the water to 25 °C
3. Place one potato chip in the boiling tube.
4. Keep the boiling tube and potato chip at 25 °C for 30 minutes.
5. Repeat steps 1−4 at four other temperatures.

(a) All of the potato chips gained water by osmosis.

Explain how the students would find out the rate of water uptake by osmosis in each
potato chip.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(3)

(b) One of the students used a knife to cut the potato chips.

Suggest how the student could improve the method of cutting the potato chips to make
sure they are all the same size.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)
(c) Another student cut their potato chips as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Suggest how the rate of water uptake by osmosis in this investigation was different from
the investigation with the chips shown in Figure 2.

Give a reason for your answer.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(d) The students carried out the experiment at 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C, 40 °C and 45 °C

Predict what you would expect the results to show as the temperature increases.

Give a reason for your answer.

Prediction __________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Reason ____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 8 marks)
Q2. Cells, tissues and organs are adapted to take in different substances and get rid of different
substances.

The table shows the concentration of four ions outside cells and inside cells.

Concentration
Concentration inside
Ion outside cells in mmol
cells in mmol per dm3
per dm3

Sodium 140 9

Potassium 7 138

Calcium 2 27

Chloride 118 3

(a) Use information from the table above to complete the following sentences.

Sodium ions will move into cells by the process

of __________________________________ .

Potassium ions will move into cells by the process

of __________________________________ .
(2)

(b) Some students investigated the effect of the different concentrations of sugar in four
drinks, A, B, C and D, on the movement of water across a partially permeable membrane.

The students:

• made four bags from artificial partially permeable membrane

• put equal volumes of 5% sugar solution in each bag

• weighed each bag containing the sugar solution

• placed one bag in each of the drinks, A, B, C and D

• after 20 minutes removed the bags containing the sugar solution and weighed them
again.

The diagram below shows how they set up the investigation.

(i) The bag in drink A got heavier after 20 minutes.

Explain why.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(3)

(ii) In which drink, A, B, C or D, would you expect the bag to show the smallest change
in mass?

Tick (✔) one box.

A B C D

(1)

(iii) Explain why you think the bag you chose in part (b)(ii) would show the smallest
change.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 8 marks)
Q3. Substances are transported across cell membranes by different processes.

Figure 1 represents a section of cell membrane in a plant root.

Figure 1

(a) Substance B moves into the root cell.

Suggest what substance B is.

Explain your answer.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(3)

Students wanted to determine the concentration of sugar solution in dandelion cells.

This is the method used.

1. Cut a 40 mm length of dandelion stem into five identical strips.

2. Draw the appearance of a strip.

3. Place each strip into a different concentration of sugar solution.

4. After 1 hour, draw the appearance of each strip.

Figure 2 shows how the dandelion stem was cut.

 Figure 2

The cells on the outer edge of the dandelion strip have a waxy waterproof layer.

The table shows the students’ drawings of the strips of dandelion stem.

(b) Explain the result for the 0.2 mol/dm3 sugar solution.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(4)
(c) Suggest the concentration of sugar solution in the dandelion cells.

Use the table above.

Concentration = ___________________________ mol/dm3

(1)

(d) Explain your answer to part (c).

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(e) The results shown in the table above are qualitative.

Qualitative results depend on a person’s judgement so may not be accurate.

The students wanted to determine the concentration of sugar solution in dandelion cells.

Describe how the method could be improved to obtain an accurate, quantitative result.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 12 marks)
Mark schemes

Q1.
(a) measure the mass / length of the chip at the start*
1

measure the mass / length of the chip at the end*

1
*if neither mark awarded allow 1 mark for
measure the increase in length / mass

divide the change in mass / length by time taken

1
ignore references to blotting the potato chips

(b) use cork borer

allow a description
allow a potato chip cutter
1

(c) (rate) would be higher / faster

ignore more diffusion / osmosis
1

(as) surface area (for diffusion / osmosis) is greater

1

(d) (as temperature increases the) rate (of osmosis) would increase
ignore more water taken in
1

as (water) molecules / particles have more energy to move (faster)

or
as (water) molecules / particles have more kinetic energy
allow (water) molecules / particles move faster
1
[8]

Q2.
(a) diffusion
1
active transport
1
this order only

(b) (i) concentration (of sugar) in the bag was higher (than in the drink)
allow concentration (of sugar) in the drink was lower (than in
the bag)

or

higher concentration of water outside the bag or in the drink / boiling tube
allow higher water potential outside the bag or lower water
potential inside the bag
 1

(so) water moved in (to the tubing)

allow water moves down its concentration gradient
do not allow sugar moving
1

by osmosis
allow diffusion (of water)
do not allow sugar moving by osmosis or water moving by
active transport
1

(ii) B
1

(iii) close(st) to the concentration in the bag or to 5%

allow small(est) diffusion gradient or close(st) to an
equilibrium
1

(so rate of) diffusion / osmosis is slow

allow (so) less water moves in (to the bag)
ignore ref. to sugar
1
[8]

Q3.
(a) mineral / nitrate ion
allow nitrates
allow potassium / magnesium / sodium ion
do not accept nitrogen
1

(because) it is more concentrated inside the cell

allow converse
1

(so) it is moving against / up the concentration gradient

ignore moving along concentration gradient
allow from low concentration to high
concentration
or

(so must) be moving by active transport / uptake

1

(b) cell contents are more concentrated than the 0.2 (mol/dm3) solution
allow more dilute solution outside the cell
allow higher concentration of water outside of the
cells
1

(therefore) water moves into the cells by osmosis

 allow water moves into the cells by diffusion
do not accept active transport
1

the cells on the inner edge swell with water

allow cells on the inner edge become turgid
allow cells on the inner edge absorb water and
expand
1

(but) the cells on the outer edge absorb less / no water so the stem curls
allow cells on outer edge absorb water at a
slower rate
allow cells on outer edge cannot expand and
therefore the stem curls
1

(c) between 0.2 and 0.4 (mol/dm3)

allow answer in the range 0.21 to 0.39 (mol/dm3)
1

(d)
allow ecf from part (c)

at 0.2 (mol/dm3) plant cells are absorbing water and at 0.4 (mol/dm3) they are
losing water
1

(so) same concentration is when there is no (net) gain or loss of water

or
(so) same concentration is when the stem is the same shape as the original
1

(e) measure the mass before and after to work out mass gain / loss
allow calculate change in mass
1

plot percentage gain / loss on graph and see where the line intercepts 0%
change
allow repeat using different concentrations until
percentage change in mass is zero
1
[12]