Osmosis with eggs question?????

Question

I just did an osmosis lab using 4 eggs soaked in vinegar and 4 solutions: distilled water, 10% sugar solution, 40% and 90%

(we had to measure the circumference of the eggs to see if the volumes increased or decreased)

obviously the one in distilled water swelled and the one in the 90% solution became kind of deflated but my results for the 10% and 40% were not dramatic enough for me to tell if they became larger or smaller (my measurements weren't exactly accurate)

so does anyone know what was "supposed" to happen with the eggs with the 10% and 40% sugar solutions?

(i'm guessing the water from the 40% solution egg was also supposed to diffuse out?)

thanks a lot

Answer 1

Well, there are two ways of getting the answer:

1.) SInce the amount of sugar is increasing, that is a linear relationship. So, as the sugar decreases, the less amount of water will diffuse out and hence the less change in the circumfrence. But you have two sets of data which actually looks like a parabola. The left side of the parabola will be for distilled water. So as the water becomes more pure (to distilled water), the more it will diffuse into the cell. Now with the sugar side, which is on the right side of the parabol, as more sugar is added, the more the egg will shrink (like in the 90%). I believe you know what a parabola is, so at the minimum point, there is where you get an equilibrium. So, I am guessing that the 10% will be the equilibrium point. So 10% would actually do nothing, no change in circumfrence. But you did see a difference (slight) with the 40% and hence this leaves the equilibrium point and moves into a 90%-like situiation.

2.) You can do the experiment again at home. But you can also try 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. Filtered water is similar to as distilled, roughly. Or if you use tap water, then assume that the salt would not affect the experiment. I would run a control though. So have plain water and put an egg in (note the intial circumfrence and ;et it sit and see the final circumfrence). If there is a change in circumfrence, subtract from the other sugar concentrations if the circumfrence increases and add if the circumfrence decreases with the control egg. This is just proprotionality value.

good luck.