Experimenting Hypertonic and Hypotonic on a Potato

Sarah Mann

INTRODUCTION
Make an experiment that shows how osmosis works. In this experiment using with
potatoes, can identify which is hypertonic and hypotonic with simple steps so it will
model the properties. Using basic materials and creating the procedures in-group. The
hypothesis prediction when the potato is put into the salted water, the potato will
absorb the salt only and making it into a salty potato.

PROCEDURE
Materials needed:

1.

One potato
Two beaker
Graduated Cylinder
Salt
Water
Weight the uncut potato first then proceed to cut it into two. Make sure that
both side are equal and weight each potato, both potatoes must have the same

weight around 30 Gram.

2. Grab a Graduated Cylinder and pour the water into it till it reaches about 100
Milliliters. Grab two beaker and proceed to pour the first ML into the first
beaker then re-fill the Graduated Cylinder again with water till it reaches at
100 Milliliters and pour it to the second beaker. Make sure both filled beaker
has the same amount of water.
3. Grab a spoonful of salt, around 50 Milliliter and pour it into one of the beaker,
grab the two cut potato and drop them each in one of the filled beaker. Mix the

beaker with the salted water with a glass spoon. Make sure to keep stirring till
the salt dissolve.
4. Set up a timer using a phone, leave the experiment be and wait till an hour. We
will se the result after the timer set off.
5. After an hour is done, we take both of the potatoes out from the beaker and
check for the result. What have happened to the potato and the water?
DATA
Mass of Potato
Volume of

Before
30 Gram
100 Milliliter

Salt
30 Gram
130 Milliliter

Fresh
30 Gram
100 Mililiter

Water
RESULT
After weve done the experiment, the result we got was surprising
enough. We took the potatoes out and observe the water first, the
unsalted water stays the same amount like before 100 ML but the
salted water increases to 130 ML. We examine the potatoes and the
unsalted seems bigger and when we tried to feel it, it was harder
because theres more water in it. We examine the salted potato and
the difference is visible because it became more smaller and when
we tried to feel it , it was more softer. Both of the potato still weight
the same (30G). This occurred because the unsalted one keep
absorbing the water inside while the salted one pours out water
from the inside and into the outside, thats why the water increases
to 130 ML. The hypothesis was not correct, the potatoes actually
worked as Hypotonic and Hypertonic solution.