Download Alan Nguyen Water Potential Work 10591649.pdf

Water Potential and Osmosis Simulation
Simulation at: ​jondarkow.com
1. Complete the chart for a cell in an environment with low osmolarity. Use the the model
above.
Cell (High or low)
Osmolarity
Water Potential
High
Low
Direction of
osmosis (draw an
arrow towards or
away from cell)
Extracellular
environment (High
or low)
Toward the cell
Low
High
2. Is the cell described in question 1 in an isotonic, hypotonic, or hypertonic environment?
The cell described in question 1 is in a hypotonic environment.
1
3. Would the cell described in question 1 increase or decrease in mass?
The cell described in question 1 would increase in mass.
4. Draw ​how you would predict the water potential for the cell described in question 1 (with a
solid line) and the water potential for the environment (with a dashed line) would change
over a long period of time.
5. Run​ ​the simulation according to the specified starting conditions. G
​ raph ​the results of the
water potential of the cell (𝚿​Cell​) with a solid line, and the mass of the cell with a dashed line.
Explain​ the results.
The water potential of the cell remained relatively the same because
2
6. Keep the environmental variable constant, g
​ raph ​how the​ ​water potential of the cell​ and the
mass of the cell​ change over time by manipulating each of the following variables. (Label
each graphed line a-d accordingly.) R
​ eset t​ he simulation before perturbing each new
variable.
a. Increase in pressure potential of the cell to maximum (10 bars).
Both Cell Water and Environmental Water pressure remains relatively the same.
There is a slight decrease in the mass of the cell.
b. Increase in molar concentration of the cell to maximum (10 M).
The Cell Water potential starts at -245 bars and increases until it plateaus at around -128
bars.
The Environmental Water potential starts at -7.35 bars and decreases until it plateaus at
around -124 bars.
The mass of the cell increases exponentially until it plateaus at a certain point.
c. Increase the temperature of the cell to the maximum (100 ℃).
The Cell Water and Environmental water potential as well as the cell mass remain relatively
the same.
d. Increase in ionization of the environment from glucose (ionization = 1) to NaCl (ionization = 2).
The Cell Water and Environmental water potential as well as the cell mass remain relatively
the same.
3
7.
Using the simulation and the equation for water potential graph and explain how each of
the factors affect osmosis.
a. Increase in pressure potential of the cell to maximum (10 bars).
j
b. Increase in molar concentration of the cell to maximum (10 M).
f
c. Increase the temperature of the cell to the maximum (100 ℃).
f
d. Increase in ionization of the environment from glucose (ionization = 1) to NaCl (ionization = 2).
f
8. What is the maximum initial water potential you can create with the simulation? What were
the conditions that created this maximum water potential?
It seems that the maximum initial water potential is 0.
9. If the water potential in a cell is very high compared to the extracellular environment, how
will this affect osmosis?
The water will move towards the cell since a high water potential implies a high concentration of
solute in the cell. This means that the cell is in a hypotonic environment
10. What is the minimum initial water potential you can create with the simulation? What were
the conditions that created this minimum water potential? (Hint: the most minimum initial
water potential can be created with the environment, not the cell.)
The minimum initial water potential that could be created seems to be -300.
4
11. If the water potential in a cell is very low compared to the extracellular environment, how
will this affect osmosis?
The water will move out of the cell since a low water potential implies a small amount of solute in
the cell meaning the cell is in a hypertonic environment.
-greater pressure leads to greater osmosis
-the larger the size of the cell, the larger the water potential
5