Water Potential

Experiment #8
Name: Tyrese Baxter

Date: December 15, 2021
Topic: Membrane Structure and Function
Title: Water Potential
Aim: To estimate the water potential of potato tuber cells
Background Knowledge:
Water potential is the potential energy of water in a system compared to pure water, when
both temperature and pressure are kept the same. It is also defined as the measure of how
freely water molecules can move in a particular environment or system.
Apparatus and Materials: Iodine, paper towel, 0 mol/dm3 sucrose solution (distilled water),
0.25 mol/dm3 sucrose solution, 0.5 mol/dm3 sucrose solution, 0.75 mol/dm3 sucrose solution,
1 mol/dm3 sucrose solution, paper towel, tape, marker, potato cylinders, scalpel, ruler,
beakers, petri dishes, electronic scale, cork borer, forceps and syringes
Method:
1. Each petri dish was labelled with the respective sucrose solution.
2. 20 cm3 of each sucrose solution was transferred to the corresponding petri dish.
3. The cork borer was used to gather five potato cylinders. Each cylinder was cutted to a
length of 4 cm. the mass of the potato cylinder was weighed and recorded.
4. 0ne cylinder was added to each of the five petri dishes, simultaneously. Each petri
dish was covered afterward.
5. The liquid was drained from each petri dish after 30 minutes and the cylinders were
gently blotted with a sheet of paper towel.
6. Each cylinder was reweighed, and the final masses was noted.
7. The mean percentage (%) change in weight of the cylinders for each solution was
calculated.
8. A graph was plotted to show the mean percentage (%) change in weight against
sucrose concentration.
9. The graph was used to determine the sucrose concentration that didn’t change in
weight.
Observations/Results:
Title: Table showing the relationship between potato cylinders and sucrose concentration
regarding mass.
Petri Dish Sucrose Initial mass Final mass Change in Percentage
No. Concentration (g) (g) mass (g) change in
(mol/dm-3) mass (g)
1 0 2.60 2.82 0.22 8.46%
2 0.25 1.40 1.42 0.02 1.43%
3 0.50 1.38 1.33 -0.05 -3.62%
4 0.75 2.84 2.65 -0.19 -6.69%
5 1.00 2.24 1.85 -0.39 -17.41%
Sample Calculation:
Petri Dish No. 1:
Change in mass = Final mass – Initial mass
= 2.82 – 2.60
= 0.22 g
Petri Dish No. 2:
= 1.42 – 1.40
= 0.02 g
Petri Dish No 3:
= 1.33 – 1.38
= -0.05 g
Petri Dish No 4:
= 2.65 – 2.84
= -0.19 g
Petri Dish No 5:
= 1.85 – 2.24
= -0.39 g
Percentage change in mass for Petri Dish No 1 = Change in mass/Initial mass x 100
= 0.22/2.60 x 100
= 8.46 %
= 0.02/1.40 x 100
= 1.42 %
= -0.05/1.38 x 100
= -3.62 %
= -0.19/2.84 x 100
= -6.69 %
= -0.39/2.24 x 100
= -17.41%
Graph
Discussion:
Osmosis is the process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semi-
permeable membrane from an area of low water potential to an area of high water potential
until evenly distributed. Water potential is the measure of potential energy in water and
drives the movement of water through plants. The unit of water potential is psi (ψ ) and is
expressed in units of pressure called megapascals (MPa). Solutions with low water potential
means that there are few forces driving the water to move from one area to another, and the
water will tend to remain as is. Solutions with high water means that the solution has more
free water molecules compared to a solution with low water potential. The relationship
between sucrose concentration and the percentage change in mass is as sucrose concentration
increases percentage change in mass decreases. The sucrose solutions that were hypertonic
are: 0.5 sucrose solution, 0.75 sucrose solution and 1.00 sucrose solution. The sucrose
solution that was hypotonic are: 0.25 sucrose solution and 0 sucrose solution (distilled water).
0.5 M sucrose solution, 0.75 M sucrose solution and 1.00 M sucrose solution was hypertonic
to the cytoplasm of the potato tuber cell. Since the water potential of the solution was greater
than the cell, so there was a net movement of water out of the cell across the cell membrane,
resulting in -3.62%, -6.69% and -17.41% respectively. 0 M sucrose solution and 0.25 M
sucrose solution was hypotonic to the cytoplasm of the potato tuber cell. Since the water
potential of the solution was lesser than the cell, so there was a net movement of water into
the cell across the cell membrane, resulting in 8.46% and 1.43% respectively. The procedure
used for estimating the water potential of the tuber cells was to draw the straight line on your
graph that best fits your data. The point at which this line crosses the x-axis represents the
molar concentration of sucrose with water potential that is equal to the potato tissue water
potential. The estimated water potential is -860 MPa according to the mean percentage
change in weight against sucrose concentration.
Precautions:
1. Labelling petri dishes with the respective sucrose solution.
Limitations:
1. Some of the potato cylinders may have skin, which acts as a barrier which will affect
the water potential of the potato cylinder.
Conclusion:
The water potential was calculated for the potato cylinders. The estimated water potential of
the potato cylinder is -860 MPa.

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Experiment #8

Name: Tyrese Baxter

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