Osmosis Lab: Graphing with Excel
1st Graph: Group Data
1. Make sure you have your data: % sugar concentration and % change in mass.
2. Open excel by double clicking the excel icon.
3. Cell A1: Type your full name and period #
4. Cell A2: leave blank
5. Cell A3: type “Table 1.” Write a brief title for your group’s data table
6. Cell A6: type % sugar
7. Cells A7 and down: type in your values for % sugar for your four test tubes
8. Cell B6: type % change in mass
9. Cells B7 and down: type in your values for % change in mass for your potato cores for
each test tube.
10. Include negative (-) signs for your % change in mass where appropriate. DO NOT
write “%” next to your numbers. Use numbers only. See example below.
Example
John Smith Period 1 Biology
Table 1. CHANGE IN MASS FOR TISSUE SAMPLES IN
SUGAR WATER SOLUTIONS
% sugar
0
5
10
15
% change in mass
22
7
-2
-18
Making a graph
1. Highlight the data in columns A6 and B6 down
2. Click on “INSERT” on the top menu bar.
3. In the graph section, choose XY scatter.
4. Choose the XY scatter option with markers only – no lines.
5. At the top of the screen slick on “Layout” under the green tab titled “Chart
Tools”
6. Click on Axis Titles to add X and Y axis labels.
7. Click on Chart Title if you need to add a title.
Making a trendline and equation to calculate the Isotonic point
1. Under Chart Tools, click on Trendline (near the right side of the screen).
2. Click Linear Trendline.
3. Now you should have a trendline for the slope of the line on your graph.
4. Add the equation by clicking on Trendline again, and then “More Trendline
Options.” Here you can click a box near the bottom of the menu that says
“Display Equation on Chart.”
5. Place the equation in a location where it can be read easily and where you can
draw a line from it to the X-intercept (where the line crosses the x-axis when %
sugar equals zero).
6. This equation is in y=mx+b format. Substitute 0 (zero) in for y and you will be
able to calculate the exact x intercept (the isotonic point).
7. Add a textbox underneath or next to your graph so you can write a narrative.
“Figure 1. add title and narrative”
2nd Graph: Entire Class Data
Now you are ready to graph the data for the entire class.
Give it a try. The data is available at HRVHS Life Sciences webpage unit three.
www.hrvhslifesciences.weebly.com.
The data is not arranged in the same way so see what you can do. You want to start the
same way as you did above by making a scatter plot graph.
If you’ve got your group’s data and the class data graphed with trendlines and equations
then you are doing great. Please help others get both graphs completed.
3rd Graph: All Bio classes Data
Now you are ready to graph the data for all Biology classes.
Give it a try. The data is available at HRVHS Life Sciences webpage unit three.
www.hrvhslifesciences.weebly.com.
The data is not arranged in the same way so see what you can do. You want to start the
same way as you did above by making a scatter plot graph.
If you’ve got your group’s data, the class data, and all Biology classes data graphed with
trendlines and equations then you are a superstar. Please help others get all three graphs
completed.