Osmosis Lab

In our Osmosis lab we tested four different substances.  These substances consisted of methyl cellulose, cereal, corn starch, and tums.  Each of the substances had some water added to it.  We put each substances in a membrane, then into a cup of water.  This was a way to see how it would react.  We decided to see how much water was transferred by weight.  We had a weight before we put it in water, then a weight after the 24 hour soak.  Some transferred more water than others, but they all gained weight.

Substance                beginning weight oz.      after 24 hour soak  oz.

methyl cellulose               4.71                            9.55
cereal                               9.69                            13.08
corn starch                       6.57                            6.98
tums                                 12.5                            17.79


The graph is proof of water transferring into the membrane.  On the corn starch the properties must not have been the same, because hardly any water diffused.  So in this lab we proved osmosis and diffusion exist.  This is proved by the change in weight after a 24 hour soak.