AP biology students perform osmosis lab
Last week, students in Mrs. Emily Cloud’s AP Biology Class performed an osmosis lab and presented their findings to the class in preparation for upcoming science fairs. The Potato Lab is the first of the AP College Board approved investigations so far this year. In this lab, students applied concepts of osmosis, the movement of water through membranes. Students should have been able to predict the direction the water would move, either into the potato or out of the potato, for different concentrations of sucrose solutions. Their prediction was also based on calculating the water potential of the plant. Students were also challenged to design their own experiment using this knowledge with unknown concentrations of sucrose solutions. Analysis of their results revealed a relationship between the concentration of the solution and the rate of osmosis, which students were able to conclude this from their data and graphs. Students then presented their results on a mini poster board to the class.
“AP Biology is a college-based class for students considering science-based majors. Students will be expected to perform and present research and may be expected to already have a basic knowledge of this skill. Presenting science research allows students to practice communicating knowledge, and my students will also keep their lab manuals for future reference. I have recently been in contact with a former AP Biology student who excitedly shared that she has been invited to assist in a research grant project at Mississippi State University. I am so proud that she had the confidence to pursue research as a freshman in college!” – Mrs. Emily Cloud
On the most most interesting or surprising fact he learned through conducting the osmosis experiments, SPCHS Junior Connor Atwell said, “I thought that the potato would absorb the liquid, no matter the molarity.” When asked what he learned about developing research projects, he said, “I learned how important it can be to keep notes.”
Photos of the lab and report presentations can be found below!
