Osmosis in a Potato Chip

Osmosis in a Potato Chip

Aim: During this experiment I shall be investigating osmosis in a

potato core. I shall also be investigating the effect the

concentration of the solution has on the osmosis of a potato core.

Possible Input Variables:

- concentration of glucose

- surface area of potato core

- temperature (this however will only effect the rate of osmosis)

- variety if potato, vegetable

- whether the potato is cooked

- what the solute of the solution is, possible change of solute

My chosen input variable will be the concentration of the glucose. I

have chosen this variable because it is practical and easy to

regulate. It will give us clear results which will enable us to find

dynamic equilibrium.

Control Variables:

- surface area of potato core

- temperature

- variety of potato, vegetable

- whether the potato is cooked

- what the solute of the solution is

Possible Outcome Variable:

- change in length of potato core

- percentage change in length of potato core

- volume of solution left

- change in weight

- percentage change in weight

My chosen outcome variable will be the percentage change in the length

of the potato core. I have chosen this because this outcome variable

will give us a clear set of results which will enable us to draw a

clear graph and we shall therefore be able to find dynamic

equilibrium.

Preliminary

Apparatus:

- 3 test tubes

- A tile

- Forceps

- Scalpel

- Syringe

- Measuring cylinder

- 3 different sucrose concentrations (0%, 8.5%, 17%)

- A test tube rack

- A ruler

- Potato

- Potato corer

Method:

- to begin our experiment we took 3 potato cores from the potato using

a potato corer.

- We then measured these potato cores to a length of 80mm