Danica Rejas

Exercise 4 – DEMONSTRATION OF OSMOSIS AND OSMOTIC PRESSURE

I. Results & Discussion

Sucrose Fluid rise

conc. 0m 10m 20m 30m 40m 50m 60m Ave.
30% 0mm 4mm 9mm 13mm 19mm 23mm 27mm 15.83mm
60% 0mm 5mm 13mm 19mm 27mm 33mm 41mm 23mm

Fluid movement against time

45

40

35

30

25
30% Sucrose
20 60% Sucrose

15

10

0
0min 10min 20min 30min 40min 50min 60min

Fig.1 Shows the Fluid movement vs. time of 30% sucrose and 60% sucrose

In this experiment, we had 2 set ups filled with 30 % sucrose and 60 & sucrose. We
used chorizo skin as the membrane in the experiment. Chorizo skin is a semi permeable
membrane which allows some molecules that are small enough to pass through it. In this
case, these small particles are referred to water molecules. When the 30% sucrose bag is
placed into the beaker filled with distilled water, this distilled water is said to be hypotonic
with respect to the 30& sucrose solution. Due to high water potential in distilled water, the
water molecules will tend to move from the distilled water into the bag. The osmotic
pressure of the water is much higher than the osmotic pressure of the sucrose solution. The
water molecules are forced to move in to the 30% sucrose solution by diffusing the
membrane of the bag.
 In the 60% sucrose solution, it is said to be hypertonic when compared to 30%
sucrose solution. The 60% sucrose solution has higher solute concentration and lower water
potential due to the lack of free water molecules. This is because more water molecules are
attracted to sucrose molecules in the solution. The diffusing rate of water molecules move
out from the bag is higher than the water molecules move into the bag.

II. Application

Water Purification

Osmotic pressure is the reverse osmosis and a process commonly used in

water purification. The water to be purified is placed in a chamber and put under
an amount of pressure greater than the osmotic pressure exerted by the water
and the solutes dissolved in it. Part of the chamber opens to a differentially
permeable membrane that lets water molecule through, but not the solute
particles.

III. Conclusion

Osmotic pressure is the pressure that would be required to stop water from diffusing
through barriers by osmosis. It refers to how hard the water would push to get through
the barrier in order to diffuse in the other side. With respect to the results of the
experiment, we can conclude that the higher the solute concentration, lower the
osmotic pressure and low water potential.