The water potential of potato cells is found by measuring the mass change of potato cylinders placed in various sucrose solutions; the concentration corresponding to zero mass change indicates the potato cells' water potential.
To determine the water potential of potato cells, potato cylinders are placed in different sucrose solutions. The change in mass of the cylinders is measured, and the sucrose concentration at which there is no change in mass indicates the water potential of the potato cells.
| Front | Describe an experiment to find the water potential of potato cells |
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| Back | 1. use a cork borer to cut potatoes into identical potato cylinders 2. ensure the potato cylinders are the same length and from the same potato. 3. weigh the initial mass of the potato cylinders 4. place the potato cylinders into different sucrose solutions e.g (0.25,0.5,0.75,1.0,1.25,1.5) for 20 minutes 5. remove the potato cylinders from the solutions and gently dry. 6. weigh the final mass of potato cylinders and record results 7. using these results calculate % change in mass for each different sucrose solution. 8. You may draw a calibration curve and extrapolate to find where % change in mass zero, this value would be the water potential of the potato cell. |
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