Describe5 marksStandard
A student investigated the water potential of potato tissue using a series of sucrose solutions of known concentration. Cylinders of potato tissue were blotted dry, weighed, then placed in the solutions for 24 hours. After removal, they were blotted dry and reweighed. The percentage change in mass was calculated for each solution. The results are shown in the table below.
| Sucrose concentration / mol dm⁻³ | Percentage change in mass / % |
|---|---|
| 0.0 | +12.5 |
| 0.2 | +5.8 |
| 0.4 | +1.2 |
| 0.6 | -3.4 |
| 0.8 | -8.7 |
Describe how the results in the table can be used to estimate the water potential of the potato tissue. You may assume that the water potential of the sucrose solutions is known (values are negative and decrease with increasing concentration).