Lab Demo Osmosis and Gummy Bears
Class Copy
Objective:
 To find out what the effect of different amounts of solute in water has on the mass of gummy bears after sitting in
the solution for 45 minutes.
Materials:
Approximately 100 ml Water
100 ml Karo Syrup solution (concentrated sugar solution)
2-250 ml beakers
1 scale
3 Gummy Bears
Variables:
Manipulated:
Responding:
Controlled:
Groups:
Experimental:
Control:
Procedure:
1. Place 100 ml of water in a 250 ml beaker.
2. Place 100 ml of Karo Syrup in another 250 ml beaker.
3. Obtain 3 gummy bears.
4. Measure the mass of each gummy bear and record in a data table.
5. Place one of the gummy bears in each of the beakers.
6. Leave the 3rd gummy bear out in the air on the counter.
7. Let sit for 45 minutes.
8. Measure the mass of the gummy bears after 45 minutes and record in a data table.
Diagram of Procedural set up:
Data Table: Include a column for the initial masses, final masses and the difference between the initial and final masses.
Analysis Questions:
1. Calculate the difference between the initial mass and the final mass of each Gummy Bear. Show your work.
2. Based on your calculations from #1 which gummy had the biggest change in mass?
3. Based on your observations, what moved in this experiment? Water or sugar? Where did it move?
4. What evidence (observations) supports your answer in question #3?
5. Explain why each substance moved or did not move. Try to use as many of the following vocabulary words as
possible in your answer: hypertonic, hypotonic, isotonic, high concentration, low concentration, size of
molecule, pore size in membrane, movement and equilibrium. You may not need all of the words.
6. What do you think would happen if this experiment were allowed to run overnight?
7. If sugar could move into the gummy bear, which way would it move? Explain your answer.
8. What was the purpose of the “control” (control group)?
Conclusion: Follow the lab grading rubric to write an appropriate conclusion.
Lab Osmosis in a Gummy Bear 1314