Name: _____________________________________ DATE: ___________________ Period: ______________
Title: HONEY,
I SHRUNK THE CARROTS
Carrot Osmosis Lab
Strategy
In this experiment, you will:
 observe carrots in salt water and fresh water
 determine if carrots have gained water after 24 hrs
Problem:
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction:
6 complete sentences about Cell Transport
Hypothesis:
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Materials:
balance, graduated cylinder, ruler, 2 cups, carrots, string, salt, water, scissors, marker
Procedure
Part A:
1. Place 150 ml of water in each of the two cups.
2. Weigh out 15g of salt, add to one cup and label it “salt water”.
3. Label the other cup “fresh water.
4. Cut a carrot in half and tie a piece of string around each carrot half (2cm below cut).
5. Measure the diameter and mass of each carrot half, and record in the data table. (Use
one carrot as the “salt water” carrot, and one as the “fresh water carrot”)
6. Place one carrot half (cut end down) in the “salt water” cup. Place other carrot (cut
end down) in the “fresh water.
7. Cover each cup with foil and allow carrots to remain undisturbed for 24 hrs.
Part B:
1. Remove carrots and observe the texture of the carrot and the tightness of the string.
2. Observe the volume of water left in the cup and use a graduated cylinder to measure the volume of
water in each cup.
3. Weigh each carrot (*remember to leave the string on because you weighed it with string on Day 0).
4. Measure the diameter of each carrot.
5. Record all data in table
Data and Observations:
Observations
CARROT HALF
Volume
“fresh”
DAY 0
DAY 1
“salt”
Diameter
“fresh”
“salt”
Mass
“fresh”
“salt”
DAY 1: Circle the proper term in the column under the Water Type that matches
the description in the column under condition
CONDITION
Loose String
Firm texture
Tight string
Soft texture
Decrease in cell size
Loss of water by cells
Gain of water by cells
WATER TYPE
fresh water – salt water
fresh water – salt water
fresh water – salt water
fresh water – salt water
fresh water – salt water
fresh water – salt water
fresh water – salt water
Questions: (Use complete sentences to answer in your lab report)
1. What was the purpose of tying the string on each carrot?
2. In which kind of water did the carrot cells lose water? How can you tell from your data?
3. In which kind of water did the carrot cells gain water? How can you tell from your data?
4. What might happen to human blood cells if placed in a beaker of salt water? Explain what happens
and what “cell transport” takes place.
Error Analysis: See lab format sheet for details
Conclusion: See lab format sheet for details – Summary of what you did, specifically found using data to
support, learned – link results to concepts learned in class for this chapter, future use of information,
and accept or reject hypothesis