EEduVistaHQ

Osmosis in Potato Cylinders

Soak potato pieces in salt solutions of different strengths and use their mass change to find the concentration that matches the potato cells.

Grade 7ExperimentScience OlympiadScienceBiologyChemistryData AnalysisIntermediate1 to 2 hr7 materialsAdult supervision required

What you'll learn

  • Define osmosis and a concentration gradient
  • Calculate percent change in mass
  • Find a value by reading where a graph crosses zero

Objective

Measure how potato mass changes in solutions of different salt concentrations and estimate the concentration where there is no net water movement.

STEM concepts

OsmosisSemi-permeable membranesConcentrationIsotonic solutions
Ready to do this one?Sign in or create a free parent account to unlock projects. Each family opens a couple of projects per grade every month, so there is always something new to come back to.
Sign up free
Materials and safety
Step-by-step instructions
Prediction, test sheet and results
Why does it work, challenge and project report

Try another STEM challenge

Grade 7
ExperimentIntermediate

Crime Lab: Ink Chromatography

Science · Chemistry, Data Analysis

Separate the colors in black pens with paper chromatography to find which pen wrote a mystery note.

40 to 60 min · 6 materialsView project
Grade 8
ExperimentIntermediate

Yeast Balloon: Measuring Respiration

Science · Biology, Chemistry

Use yeast, sugar and a balloon to measure how temperature changes the amount of gas living cells make.

45 to 75 min · 8 materialsView project
Grade 7
ExperimentIntermediate

Liquid Density Tower

Science · Chemistry, Physics

Layer honey, dish soap, water and oil in a glass and measure the density of each liquid to explain the order.

40 to 60 min · 8 materialsView project
Grade 8
ExperimentIntermediate

Food Science: Emulsions and Mayonnaise

Science · Chemistry, Data Analysis

Mix oil and water with different ingredients to find which emulsifiers hold the mixture together.

45 to 70 min · 6 materialsView project
Grade 7
ExperimentIntermediate

Build a Circuit and Test Conductors

Science, Engineering · Electricity, Physics

Build a working circuit, then use it as a tester to sort materials into conductors and insulators.

45 to 60 min · 6 materialsView project
Grade 7
BuildIntermediate

Balloon Hovercraft

Science, Engineering · Physics, Engineering

Build a hovercraft from a CD and a balloon, then test how load and air supply change how far it glides.

40 to 70 min · 7 materialsView project

EduVistaHQ.com · Learn • Explore • Grow