Personal Code: hsc221

To what extent does the concentration of ethanol

affect the dehydration of potato cells?

Figure 1: Image of potato cells under the microscope (stained with iodine solution)1

1
Picpanzee.com, (2018). Potato starch grains, iodine stained online Available at: https://picpanzee.com/tag/amyloplast Accessed 18 December 2019

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Table of Contents

Aim…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

Personal Engagement………………………………………………………………………………………………3

Background information……………………...……………………………………………………………………3

Hypothesis……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…5

Variables……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..5

Safety assessment………………………………………………………………………………………..…………6
.
Ethical assessment…………………………………………………………………….…………………….……...7

Environmental assessment………………………………………………………………………………………....7

Equipment………………………………………………………………………………………………….……....7

Methodology…………………………………………………………………………………………………….....7

Experimental Procedure …………………………………………………………………………………………...7

Results……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...8

Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...10

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………...13

Evaluation………………………………………………………………………………………………………....14

Extension…………………………………………………………………………………………………..……...14

Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………………………15
.
Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………………………….....18

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Aim

The aim of this investigation is to determine the extent to which the concentration of ethanol affects the
dehydration of potato cells. Different concentrations of ethanol were tested on potato strips in order to determine
the extent of the impacts of such a substance on the potato strips´ appearance and water contents; therefore, the
research question is:

To what extent does the concentration of ethanol affect the dehydration of potato cells?

Personal Engagement

In the country where I am currently living in, the legal drinking age is of 16 years old. Having been told
constantly by my family that, despite such a law, I should be really careful and mindful when approaching
alcoholic beverages, I have always tried my best to see alcohol as something not needed when wanting to have
fun or relax.
Although having decided not to approach alcoholic beverages myself, I still happened to personally watch one of
my acquaintances go into an alcohol induced coma. From that moment on, I clearly saw and understood what
effects alcohol can have on the human body. After having researched into the dangers of alcohol also as part of
school projects, I concluded that one of the reasons why alcohol has such a drastic impact on human beings is
due to its dehydrating effect on cells. I therefore saw my Biology IA as an opportunity to investigate the extent
to which different concentrations of ethanol (the alcohol mainly found in alcoholic beverages) may affect the
dehydration of cells. Obviously human cells were considered not appropriate for this investigation therefore, it
was decided to analyse and experiment with potato cells.

Background information
Structure of a potato cell

Potatoes are root2 tubers with an extremely high starch content which is stored in double membrane structures
called amyloplasts3. Potato cells are plant cells and are specifically structured by parenchymal cells (fig 2).
Parenchymal cells are the least specialized of the three basic plant cell types and are characterised by thin-walls
and their roughly cube-shape (fig 3)4. This type of cells will always contain a “large central vacuole, responsible
for the storage of water and ions, and for the generation of turgor pressure between neighbouring cells” 5. Potato
cells also contain all the standard basic features of plant cells such as plasma membranes and polysaccharide cell
walls6; however, they lack chloroplasts when exposed to darkness, while, when exposed to light, the amyloplasts
are able to slowly change into chloroplasts7, allowing the potato cells to photosynthesise.

Amyloplasts

Cell wall

Figure 2: Parenchymal cells stained with red dye8 Figure 3: Potato cells under a microscope9

2 Link, R (2017). Potatoes: Healthy or Unhealthy? online healthline.com. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-potatoes-healthy Accessed 5 August 2019
3
Boyer C. D., Garwood D. L. and Shannon, J. C (2009). Starch (Third Edition) Chemistry and Technology, Academic Press, 3 Compartmentation and Regulation of Starch Synthesis in
Amyloplasts online sciencedirect.com. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/amyloplasts Accessed 5 August 2019
4
Akre, B. and Wilkin, D (2017). Plant Cell Structure online ck12.org. Available at: https://www.ck12.org/biology/plant-cell-structure/lesson/Plant-Cells-Advanced-BIO-ADV/
Accessed 5 August 2019
5
Biologydictionary.net, (n.d.). Parenchyma Cells online Available at: https://biologydictionary.net/parenchyma-cells/ Accessed 5 August 2019
6
Hall, M. A., Friend, J., Jarvis M. C. and Threlfall D. R (1981). ´ The polysaccharide structure of potato cell walls: Chemical fractionation´, SpringerLink, 152 (2), 93-100, accessed on 5
August 2019, from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00391179
7
Gray, J.C (n.d.). Chloroplasts in potatoes online saps.org.uk. Available at: https://www.saps.org.uk/saps-associates/browse-q-and-a/506-chloroplasts-in-potatoes Accessed 5 August
2019 
8
Akre, B. and Wilkin, D (2017). Plant Cell Structure online ck12.org. Available at: https://www.ck12.org/biology/plant-cell-structure/lesson/Plant-Cells-Advanced-BIO-ADV/
Accessed 5 August 2019
9
Schulte.faculty.unlv.edu, (n.d.). Lab 2—Cell types online Available at: http://schulte.faculty.unlv.edu//BIO426/StudentImages/Cells/CellTypes.html Accessed 5 August 2019

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Plasma membrane

The current accepted model for the structure of the plasma membrane is the fluid mosaic model (fig 4). The fluid
mosaic model states that the plasma membrane is composed of phospholipids, cholesterol, and proteins which
are able to freely move in the plane of the membrane. It is mainly structured as a bilayer of phospholipids10 ,
which are made up of phosphate heads and hydrocarbon tails. The heads are hydrophilic (attracted to water) and
the tails are hydrophobic (water repellent). “Because of this the phospholipids become arranged into a double
layer, with the hydrophobic tails facing inwards towards each other and the hydrophilic heads facing the water
on either side”, forming the phospholipid bilayer11.

Plasma membranes regulate the diffusion of substances in and out of cells due to the phospholipid bilayer only
being permeable to substances with certain characteristics12 such as water13 and ethanol14.
“Hydrophobic molecules and small polar molecules can diffuse through the lipid layer, but ions and large polar
molecules cannot”15.

Figure 4: Plasma membrane16

Osmosis

Osmosis is the movement of water from a higher to a lower concentration across a semipermeable membrane
until an equilibrium is reached17. In the case of the plasma membrane water is able to diffuse across it due to
water molecules being small enough to pass through the phospholipid bilayer. Some cells have also water
channels within their plasma membrane called aquaporins, which cause the membrane to increase its
permeability to water18. This is also the case for potato cells19. Therefore, potato cells are subject to osmosis if a
higher concentration of water molecules is present on their outside.

Ethanol and its structure

Ethanol is a small polar molecule and therefore, it can easily cross the plasma membrane and diffuse (moving
from a higher to lower concentration) into potato cells if a higher ethanol concentration is present on their
outside.

Ethanol (fig. 5) is a highly polar molecule due to its hydroxyl, OH, group containing a polar bond. Polar bonds
give rise to polar molecules due to an uneven distribution of electrical charge across the molecule; this means
that there are going to be parts of the molecule with a small positive charge and other parts with a small negative
charge20. This gives ethanol amphiphilic properties or, in other words, the ability to attract both hydrophilic and
hydrophobic molecules21. Moreover, the hydrophobic nature of the carbon tail of ethanol facilitates the passing
through the hydrophobic chain regions of the lipid bilayers22.

10
Khanacademy.org, (n.d.). Structure of plasma membrane online Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-cells/hs-the-cell-membrane/a/structure-of-
the-plasma-membrane Accessed 5 August 2019
11
Allott, A. and Mindorff, D (2014). 2014 Edition Biology Course Companion, Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, p. 26 and 30 Accessed 5 August 2019
12
Allott, A. and Mindorff, D (2014). 2014 Edition Biology Course Companion, Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, p. 26 and 30 Accessed 5 August 2019
13
Reuss, L (2012). Water Transport Across Cell Membranes online onlinelibrary.wiley.com. Available at:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9780470015902.a0020621.pub2 Accessed 5 August 2019
14
Faller, R., Holopainen, J., Karttunen, M., Lee, B. W., Patra, M., Salonen, E., Terama, E. and Vattulainen, I (2005). ´Under the Influence of Alcohol: The Effect of Ethanol and Methanol
on Lipid Bilayers´, Elseveir, 90(4), 1121-1135 accessed on 5 August 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1367264/
15
Projects.ncsu.edu, (n.d.). The Plasma Membrane online Available at: http://projects.ncsu.edu/project/bio183de/Black/membranes/membranes.html Accessed 6 August 2019
16
Courses.lumenlearning.com, (n.d.). Passive transport online Available at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/passive-transport/ Accessed 5 August 2019
17
Staughton, J (2019). What is Osmosis? online scienceabc.com. Available at: https://www.scienceabc.com/pure-sciences/what-is-osmosis-definition-biology-diffusion.html Accessed 6
August 2019
18
Allott, A. and Mindorff, D (2014). 2014 Edition Biology Course Companion, Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, p.37 Accessed 6 August 2019
19
Boursiac, Y., Luu, D., Maurel, C. Santoni, V., Shahzad, Z. and Verdoucq L (2015). Aquaporins in Plants online physiology.org. Available at:
https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00008.2015 Accessed 6 August 2019
20
Reference.com, (n.d.). Is Ethanol Polar or Non-Polar? online Available at: https://www.reference.com/science/ethanol-polar-non-polar-1cead26ac851a489 Accessed 6 August 2019
21
Klemm, WR (1998). ´ Biological water and its role in the effects of alcohol´, PubMed, 15 (3), 249-67, accessed on 6 August 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9539383
22
Faller, R., Holopainen, J., Karttunen, M., Lee, B. W., Patra, M., Salonen, E., Terama, E. and Vattulainen, I (2005). ´Under the Influence of Alcohol: The Effect of Ethanol and Methanol
on Lipid Bilayers´, Elsevier, 90(4), 1121-1135 accessed on 5 August 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1367264/

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Figure 5: Ethanol´s structure23

The effects of ethanol on potato cells

“In a membrane, alcohol molecules tend to collect in or near the bilayer-water interface region”. “Ethanol is able
to form hydrogen bonds with the lipids in the bilayer and these hydrogen bonds reduce the order parameter of
the lipid hydrocarbon chains”. The above results in an easy penetration of ethanol through the lipid bilayer24.

Ethanol has an effect on potato cells because it is able to penetrate the plasma membrane of the cells, altering
their structure. This strongly affects the effectiveness of intrinsic membrane proteins, such as ions and water
channels, in regulating the chemical and physical balance in the cells25.

Similarly, it has been suggested that “high alcohol concentrations change the membrane structure and force
transmembrane proteins into unfavourable conformations” which affects the overall structure of the membrane26.

The way the ethanol is able to dihydrate the potato cell is linked to the way ethanol and water
“compete with each other on target membrane molecules, specifically lipids and proteins, near the membrane
surface” as a result of the hydrogen bonding capability of both compounds. Alcohol's amphiphilic properties
allow it to “bind to certain targets preferentially, displacing water, leading to conformational consequences” 27
and consequently, to what can potentially be the cell´s dehydration.

Therefore, the cells, in contact with ethanol, become dehydrated for two major reasons:

- ethanol penetrating through the membrane and altering the membrane proteins responsible for the
chemical and physical balance in the cells;
- ethanol being able to displace water molecules by binding to lipids in the membrane.

Hypothesis
Hypothesis - Higher concentrations of ethanol will cause higher dehydration levels of the potato cells, which
will result in a greater percentage mass and length change in the potato strips.

Variables
1) Independent Variable: the concentration of ethanol.

The potato cells will be soaked in the following ethanol concentration levels: 0%, 5%, 15%, 40%,
60%, 80% and 100%

2) Dependent Variable:

a) The percentage length change of the potato strips after ethanol treatment. This measurement will
be taken with a ruler (quantitatively).
b) The percentage mass change of the potato strips after ethanol treatment. This value will be
measured with a scale (quantitatively).
c) The appearance of the potato strips at each concertation of ethanol (qualitatively).

23
Garcia, N (n.d.). What is Ethanol? - Formula, Structure & Uses online study.com, Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-ethanol-formula-structure-uses.html
Accessed 6 August 2019
24
Faller, R., Holopainen, J., Karttunen, M., Lee, B. W., Patra, M., Salonen, E., Terama, E. and Vattulainen, I (2005). ´Under the Influence of Alcohol: The Effect of Ethanol and Methanol
on Lipid Bilayers´, Elsevier, 90(4), 1121-1135 accessed on 5 August 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1367264/
25
Faller, R., Holopainen, J., Karttunen, M., Lee, B. W., Patra, M., Salonen, E., Terama, E. and Vattulainen, I (2005). ´Under the Influence of Alcohol: The Effect of Ethanol and Methanol
on Lipid Bilayers´, Elsevier, 90(4), 1121-1135 accessed on 5 August 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1367264/
26
Faller, R., Holopainen, J., Karttunen, M., Lee, B. W., Patra, M., Salonen, E., Terama, E. and Vattulainen, I (2005). ´Under the Influence of Alcohol: The Effect of Ethanol and Methanol
on Lipid Bilayers´, Elsevier, 90(4), 1121-1135 accessed on 5 August 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1367264/
27
Klemm, WR (1998). ´ Biological water and its role in the effects of alcohol´, PubMed, 15 (3), 249-67, accessed on 6 August 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9539383

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3) Control variables:

Table 1: to show the control variables, the importance of controlling them and how they were controlled

Control Variable Importance of controlling the variable How it was controlled

Soaking time If some potatoes had been soaked longer than To increase the validity of the
others, they would have been exposed longer experiment the soaking time was
to the ethanol and therefore would have been kept constant: all potatoes were
affected by it much more compared to the soaked for 24 hours.
other potato strips.
The volume of ethanol If some potato strips would have been 20 ml of ethanol were used to soak
the potato cells were exposed to a higher volume of ethanol than the potatoes at each concentration.
exposed to others, they potentially would have been
more prone to absorb higher ethanol
quantities due to the higher pressure ethanol
would have exerted on their surfaces.
Temperature Temperature is a factor that contributes to the To increase the validity of the
dehydration of cells28: the higher the experiment, the temperature was
temperature, the more moisture will be drawn kept constant, at neither a too hot
up29 from the potato cells causing them to nor a too cold value: all potato
become more dehydrated. cells were kept at room
temperature (25 °C).
The potato used to By using the same potato, all the samples All the samples were collected
collect samples from taken had on average the same water and from the same potato.
nutrients content.

Safety Assessment
Table 2: to show the safety assessment of the investigation: the type of hazard, the risks and the safety
precautions when dealing with the following factors

Factor Type of Risks Precautions

hazard
Ethanol Ethanol is a highly toxic chemical which leads to skin Avoid all contacts.
irritation30 as well as to intoxication if ingested in Gloves, eye protection
high amounts31. Should ethanol come in contact with and a lab coat should be
eyes or skin, rinse with warm water and immediately worn at all times.
seek medical assistance, especially if inhaled32.
Glass Glass equipment, such as the beakers used, is easily Handle with care.
Equipment Exposure breakable. Small glass fragments, if in contact with Gloves, eye protection
skin, might cause problems such as delayed healing, and a lab coat should be
infections and persistent pain33. worn at all times.
Knife In order to cut the potato a knife is required. This Handle with care.
could represent a possible threat if not handled Gloves should be worn
carefully. In case of being subject to any cuts at all times.
immediately speak to a teacher and follow their
instructions on how to proceed.

28
Phisut, N (2012). ´Factors affecting mass transfer during osmotic dehydration of fruit´, International Food Research Journal, 19 (1) , 7-18, accessed on 7 August 2019, from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286031749_Factors_affecting_mass_transfer_during_osmotic_dehydration_of_fruits
29
Fao.org, (n.d.). 5.2 Preservation by reduction of water content: drying/dehydration and concentration online Available at: http://www.fao.org/3/V5030E/V5030E0b.htm Accessed 7
August 2019
30
Lachenmeier, DW (2008). Safety evaluation of topical applications of ethanol on the skin and inside the oral cavity online ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19014531Accessed 7 August 2019
31
My-personaltrainer.it, (2019). Effetti dell´Alcol (Etanolo) online Available at: https://www.my-personaltrainer.it/nutrizione/alcol2.html Accessed 7 August 2019* translated by me
32
Public Health England (2019). Ethanol General Information online assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. Available at:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/769779/Ethanol_PHE_general_information_070119.pdf Accessed 7 August 2019
33
Kabakas, F., Mersa, B., Ozcelik, I. B., Ozkan, T and Tuncer, S (2011). Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Removal of Glass Fragments From Hand Injuries online
pdfs.semanticscholar.org. Available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a6a8/4867aa0ec5e96705da0fff7d5e52316f7cd6.pdf Accessed 7 August 2019

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Ethical assessment
In this experiment there were no major ethical concerns. All the IB´s guide lines and ethical experimental
policies regarding the rules of laboratory experiment were considered and followed.

Environmental assessment
Ethanol represents a threat to the environment only when it is burnt since it contributes to the increase in the
amount of greenhouse gases and global warming34. In this experiment ethanol was not burnt but only kept in the
liquid state, which is not a threat to the environment.
Therefore, for its disposal, the chemical can be easily poured down the drain35.

Equipment

- 7 measuring cylinders (10ml  0.2ml) - Cling film

- 7 beakers (100ml  5ml) - White tile
- Scale ( 0.01g) - Paper towels
- Meter ruler (30cm  0.05cm) - Marker
- Knife - Potato
- Tweezers - 20 ml of ethanol at the following concentrations:
0%, 5%, 15%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%
- 20 ml of distilled water
Methodology
The different shapes of the potato samples

Three differently shaped potato strips were placed in each beaker in order to be able to repeat the experiment
three times. After having reflected, it was decided to give the potato strips different shapes in order to be able to
distinguish the potato samples in each trial.
The shapes of the potato samples used were the following:

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

The total number of potato strips was 21. The potato strips were divided in seven beakers. Each beaker contained
three potato strips, one for each shape, and was filled with 20 ml of ethanol solution, at one of the seven chosen
concentrations (0%, 5%, 15%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%).

Experimental Procedure
1. Place the potato to be cut on the white tile.
2. Cut 21 potato strips following the instructions on how to shape them as described in the methodology
(these do not need to be of the same length or the same mass, since in this investigation the percentage
length change and percentage mass change of the potato strips will be analysed).
3. Measure the initial length of each potato strip using a meter ruler and record it.
4. Weigh the potato strips using the scale and record their initial mass.
5. Use a marker to label each beaker with the following ethanol concentrations: 0%, 5%, 15%, 40%, 60%,
80% and 100%.
6. Place three differently shaped potato samples in each beaker. (Each beaker should contain three potato
samples of different shapes).

34
Eia.gov, (2019). Biofuels explained Ethanol and the environment online Available at: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=biofuel_ethanol_environment Accessed 8
August 2019
35
Chem.libretexts.org, (2019). Waste Disposal online Available at:
https://chem.libretexts.org/Ancillary_Materials/Demos%2C_Techniques%2C_and_Experiments/Chemical_Safety/Waste_Disposal
Accessed 8 August 2019

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7. Using the seven measuring cylinders, pour 20 ml of each ethanol concentration into their corresponding
beakers. For the 0% ethanol use 20 ml of distilled water instead (a clean measuring cylinder needs to be
used for each of the ethanol concentrations in order to avoid contamination).
8. Ensure the strips are fully submerged in the ethanol and the distilled water and cover the beaker tightly
with cling film to make sure the ethanol does not evaporate during the 24 hours.
9. After 24 hours, open the beakers, pour the ethanol and distilled water into the sink and remove the
potato strips using tweezers.
10. Place the strips onto a paper towel and dry them to remove excess ethanol or water weight. This was
implemented in the experimental procedure after having realised that if the potato strips were not dried,
either excess ethanol or water would add to the mass of the potatoes, negatively affecting the accuracy
of the results.
11. Weigh the mass and measure the length of each sample with a scale and a meter ruler respectively.
12. Record the results and calculate the percentage length and mass change of all the potato strips.

Results
Set of tables 3: to show the experiment’s results (quantitative analysis)

Trial 1

Ethanol Length of the potato Potato Potato Mass of the potato Potato Potato
concentration strips strips strips strips strips strips
before after length percentage before after mass percentage
alcohol alcohol change length alcohol alcohol change mass
treatment treatment (±0.07cm) change treatment treatment (±0.01g) change
(±0.05cm) (±0.05cm) (%) (±0.01g) (±0.01g) (%)
0% 3.01 3.51 + 0.50 + 16.6±2.3 0.80 1.04 +0.24 +30.0±1.3
5% 2.92 2.81 -0.11 -3.8±2.4 1.26 1.17 -0.09 -7.1±0.8
15% 2.98 2.78 -0.20 -6.7±2.4 0.83 0.73 -0.10 -12.1±1.2
40% 3.00 2.98 -0.02 0.7±2.3 1.20 0.95 -0.25 -20.8±0.9
60% 3.00 2.79 -0.21 -7.0±2.3 0.88 0.57 -0.31 -35.2±1.2
80% 2.71 2.51 -0.20 -7.4±2.6 0.74 0.34 -0.40 -54.1±1.5
100% 3.18 2.98 -0.20 -6.3±2.2 1.90 0.59 -1.31 -69.0±0.6

Trial 2

Ethanol Length of the potato Potato Potato Mass of the potato Potato Potato
concentration strips strips strips strips strips strips
before after length percentage before after mass percentage
alcohol alcohol change length alcohol alcohol change mass
treatment treatment (±0.07cm) change treatment treatment (±0.01g) change
(±0.05cm) (±0.05cm) (%) (±0.01g) (±0.01g) (%)
0% 3.20 3.50 +0.30 +9.4±2.2 0.86 1.13 +0.27 +31.4±1.2
5% 2.98 2.93 -0.05 -1.7±2.4 0.95 0.88 -0.07 -7.4±1.1
15% 3.01 3.00 -0.01 -0.3±2.3 0.70 0.61 -0.09 -12.9±1.4
40% 2.90 2.89 -0.01 -0.3±2.4 1.00 0.82 -0.18 -18.0±1.0
60% 3.01 3.00 -0.01 -0.3±2.3 1.13 0.75 -0.38 -33.6±0.9
80% 3.01 2.98 -0.03 -1.0±2.3 1.40 0.60 -0.80 -57.1±0.8
100% 3.00 2.91 -0.09 -3.0±2.3 1.48 0.53 -0.95 -64.2±0.8

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Trial 3

Ethanol Length of the potato Potato Potato Mass of the potato Potato Potato
concentration strips strips strips strips strips strips
before after length percentage before after mass percentage
alcohol alcohol change length alcohol alcohol change mass
treatment treatment (±0.07cm) change treatment treatment (±0.01g) change
(±0.05cm) (±0.05cm) (%) (±0.01g) (±0.01g) (%)
0% 3.00 3.50 +0.50 +16.7±2.4 0.94 1.21 +0.27 +28.7±1.1
5% 3.10 3.09 -0.01 -0.3±2.3 0.77 0.72 -0.05 -6.5±1.3
15% 3.00 2.98 -0.02 -0.7±2.3 0.70 0.57 -0.13 -18.6±1.5
40% 3.01 2.91 -0.10 -3.3±2.3 0.60 0.47 -0.13 -21.7±1.7
60% 2.99 2.79 -0.20 -6.7±2.3 0.73 0.53 -0.20 -27.4±1.4
80% 2.52 2.42 -0.10 -4.0±2.8 0.70 0.33 -0.37 -52.9±1.6
100% 3.31 3.02 -0.29 -8.7±2.1 1.31 0.48 -0.83 -63.4±0.9

The length and mass change uncertainties36

Statistics show that if the uncertainties are independent of one another, like in this case, the uncertainty in a sum
or difference of two numbers, z = x ± y, is obtained by the following formula: Δz = √[(Δx)2 + (Δy)2]. For
example, given the uncertainty (±0.05cm) of the ruler used in this experiment, the uncertainty of the length
change of the potato samples is Δz = √[(0.05)2 + (0.05)2]= 0.07 cm (quoting the result to the same significant
figure of the ruler).

The length and mass percentage change uncertainties37

Statistics show that, if uncertainties are independent of one another, the uncertainty in a division of two numbers,
z = x/y, is obtained by the following formula: Δz = |x/y|√[(Δx/x) 2 + (Δy/y)2]. For example for the 0%
concentration of Trial 3 given the length change uncertainty of ±0.07cm, the uncertainty of the percentage of
length change of that potato sample is Δz = |0.5/3.0|√[(0.07/0.5) 2 + (0.05/3.0)2]= 0.0235 = 2.4% (quoting the
result to the same number of decimal places of the percentage change).

Table 4: to show the average changes and the percentage changes of the potato strips’ length and mass due to
the dehydrating effect of ethanol

Ethanol Average Relative Average Average Relative Average

concentration length uncertainty percentage mass change uncertainty percentage
change for average length (g) for average mass change
(cm) length change (%) mass change (%)
change

0% +0.43±0.07 16.3% +14.2±2.4 +0.26±0.01 3.8% +30.0±1.3

5% -0.06±0.07 116.7% -1.9±2.4 -0.07±0.01 14.2% -7.0±1.3
15% -0.08±0.07 87.5% -2.6±2.4 -0.11±0.01 9.0% -14.5±1.9
40% -0.04±0.07 175.0% -1.0±2.4 -0.19±0.03 15.8% -20.2±1.7
60% -0.14±0.07 50.0% -4.7±2.3 -0.30±0.05 17.0% -32.1±2.3
80% -0.11±0.07 63.6% -4.1±2.8 -0.52±0.12 23.0% -54.7±1.6
100% -0.19±0.07 36.8% -6.0±2.3 -1.03±0.14 13.6% -65.5±1.6

The averages of the potato samples’ length/mass changes and length/mass percentage changes38
To increase the confidence of the potato samples’ length and percentage length changes, measured for each
ethanol concentration and for each of the 3 shapes, the experimental results were averaged as presented in table 4
above. The same was done for their length and mass percentage change.
The averages were calculated using the typical formula Aavg= (A1 + A2 + … +AN)/N.

36
University of Pennsylvania, (n.d.). Averaging, Errors and Uncertainty, University of Pennsylvania Lab Manual. online avntraining.hartrao.ac.za. Available at:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=25&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwippuSKj_jjAhXQ_KQKHTfVAPE4ChAWMA56BAgFEAI&url=http%3A%2
F%2Favntraining.hartrao.ac.za%2Fimages%2FError_Analysis.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3xi-WvD3GK2JVEW8JeaUpw Accessed 9 August 2019
37
University of Pennsylvania, (n.d.). Averaging, Errors and Uncertainty, University of Pennsylvania Lab Manual. online avntraining.hartrao.ac.za. Available at:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=25&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwippuSKj_jjAhXQ_KQKHTfVAPE4ChAWMA56BAgFEAI&url=http%3A%2
F%2Favntraining.hartrao.ac.za%2Fimages%2FError_Analysis.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3xi-WvD3GK2JVEW8JeaUpw Accessed 9 August 2019
38
University of Pennsylvania, (n.d.). Averaging, Errors and Uncertainty, University of Pennsylvania Lab Manual. online avntraining.hartrao.ac.za. Available at:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=25&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwippuSKj_jjAhXQ_KQKHTfVAPE4ChAWMA56BAgFEAI&url=http%3A%2
F%2Favntraining.hartrao.ac.za%2Fimages%2FError_Analysis.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3xi-WvD3GK2JVEW8JeaUpw Accessed 9 August 2019

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The absolute uncertainty of the averages39

An experimental result should be reported as follows: experimental result = A  ∆A unit, where A represents the
measured experimental result and ∆A represents the absolute uncertainty when measuring A. So, when quoting
an average as an experimental result also its absolute uncertainty must be reported. The length and mass
changes, and the percentages of the length and mass changes have their own specific uncertainties, however,
when a measurement is repeated N times, where N is small (no more than 5 to 10), the following formula can be
used to establish the absolute uncertainty of the average: ΔA avg = (Amax – Amin)/2√N; provided this value is not
smaller than the maximum uncertainty of the values averaged, this figure represents the absolute uncertainty of
the average.

For example, if 0% ethanol concentration is taken, the following three percentages were calculated for the length
changes of the potato samples (see set of tables 3): 16.6±2.3%, 9.4±2.2% and 16.7±2.4%. The average
percentage of those three values is calculated as follows: Aavg0%= (16.6 + 9.4 + 16.7)/3 = 14.2% and, its absolute
uncertainty, as follows: ΔAavg0% = (16.7 – 9.4)/2√3 = 2.1%; however since 2.1% < 2.4% (which is the maximum
uncertainty of the values to be averaged), 2.4% must be retained: therefore the final result for the average
percentage length change of the three potato samples is 14.2±2.4% (table 4.0).

The relative uncertainty of the averages40

This figure is useful to establish the precision of the various measures. The relative uncertainty is the ratio of the
size of the absolute uncertainty, ∆A, to the one of the measured experimental result, A.
Relative uncertainty = ∆A/A.

For example (Table 4), the following relative uncertainty can be calculated for the average length change of the
potato strips soaked at 0% ethanol concentration.
Relative uncertainty= 0.07/0.43 = 0.1628 = 16.3% (at 3 sig. figures)

Table 5: experiment’s qualitative results

Ethanol Appearance of the potato strips

concentration
Untreated potato The potato strips were characterised by an intense yellow colour.
0% The potato strips were characterised by an intense yellow colour.
5% The potato strips´ centre turned darker yellow and their edges started turning white.
15% The potato strips started having a white appearance overall, with whiter edges towards the
right side of the potato strips and with a darker centre.
40% Whiter appearance overall with whiter edges all around the potato strips´ perimeter, with a
darker centre.
60% Overall of whiter appearance, with a gritty texture, with shrivelled up edges and with an
intense dark centre.
80% The potato strips´ edges started to curl up. The strips were highly discoloured (pale white
colour), very textured, stiff to the touch and with an extremely darker centre.
100% The potato strips were completely discoloured (completely white), extremely textured with
shrivelled up corners and were extremely stiff to the touch.

Analysis
To determine the extent of ethanol´s dehydrating effects, it was decided to record the mass and the length
variations of the potato samples after having soaked them in such a substance for 24 hours. Graphs 1 and 2
below respectively present the average percentage mass and length change recorded.

39
University of Pennsylvania, (n.d.). Averaging, Errors and Uncertainty, University of Pennsylvania Lab Manual. online avntraining.hartrao.ac.za. Available at:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=25&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwippuSKj_jjAhXQ_KQKHTfVAPE4ChAWMA56BAgFEAI&url=http%3A%2
F%2Favntraining.hartrao.ac.za%2Fimages%2FError_Analysis.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3xi-WvD3GK2JVEW8JeaUpw Accessed 9 August 2019
40
Bylikin, S., Horner, G., Murphy, B. and Tarcy, D (2014). 2014 Edition Chemistry Course Companion, Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, p.268 Accessed 20 July
2019

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Percentage mass change analysis Note: Error bars have been plotted on Graph
1, yet they are too small to be clearly seen.
Graph 1: First part of the experiment´s results

Average percentage mass change of the potato samples after

being soaked in ethanol for 24 hours
Average percentage mass change (g)

40

20

-20

-40

-60

-80
0 20 40 60 80 100
Ethanol concentration (%)

As far as the mass is concerned, the results of the experiment show that as the ethanol concentrations increases,
the mass of the potato strips decreases. The average percentage mass changes of the potato strips range from
-7.0  1.3% at 5% ethanol concentration to -65.5  1.6% at 100% ethanol concentration.
However, when looking at 0% ethanol concentration (i.e. distilled water) an increase in the potato samples´
percentage mass of about +30.0  1.3% was observed.

The above results clearly prove the effect that the ethanol and water have on the mass of potato cells as a result
of osmosis and diffusion, well supporting hypotheses 1.

When the potato cells were soaked in distilled water, due to the higher water molecules concentration on the
outside of the cells, the water molecules were able to enter the potato cell and cross the plasma membrane,
adding water weight to the cell. This resulted in an increase in the mass of the potato strips. This shows that the
potato cells were subject to no dehydration, but that they increased their water contents which increased their
weight by an average of 30.0 1.3%.

On the other hand, when they were exposed to different ethanol concentration, the mass of the potato cells
decreased due to the permeable molecules of ethanol being able to diffuse across the plasma membrane and
being able to interact with membrane lipids and proteins. As a result of these interactions, the membrane
proteins, responsible for the chemical and physical balance in the cell, were altered and ethanol, due to osmosis,
was able to replace water molecules and bind to the lipids in the membrane. Water molecules are much denser
than ethanol molecules41, therefore, as ethanol molecules start replacing water molecules the mass of the potato
samples starts decreasing accordingly.

Overall, as the ethanol concentration increases, there are going to be more ethanol molecules available to replace
water molecules: this will further decrease the mass of the potato samples reflecting that higher ethanol
concentrations cause cells to dehydrate to a greater extent.

Pearson Correlation Coefficient Statistical Test42

The Pearson Correlation Coefficient statistical test was carried out to measure the strength of a liner association
between the concertation of ethanol solutions and the average percentage mass change of the potato strips.
The results of the statistical test show that the Pearson Correlation Coefficient = - 0.9342. This value suggests a
strong negative correlation between these two variables, supporting the results shown in Graph 1: as the ethanol
concentrations increases, the mass of the potato strips decreases accordingly.

41
Water density= 1g/cm3; Ethanol density= 0.7893 g/cm3. Haynes, W. M (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (92nd ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, p. 3.246
42
Socscistatistics.com, (n.d.) Social Science Statistics online Available at: https://www.socscistatistics.com/tests/pearson/default.aspx Accessed 19 December 2019

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Percentage length change analysis

Graph 2: Second part of the experiment´s results

Average percentage length change of the potato samples

after being soaked in ethanol for 24 hours
20
Average percentage length change

15

10

5
(cm)

-5

-10
0 20 40 60 80 100
Ethanol concentration (%)

When looking at the average percentage length changes of potato strips after 24 hours, for 0% ethanol
concentration (i.e. distilled water), an overall increase of the potato samples length of about 14.2  2.4% was
observed. This links back to the fact that, as water enters the cells by osmosis, the samples become turgid,
increasing their length.

On the other hand, for the remaining ethanol concentrations a trend can still be seen, yet less clearly. Overall the
data suggests that as ethanol concentration increases, the length of the potato strips decreases. The average
percentage length changes of the potato strips range from -1.9 2.4 % at 5% ethanol concentration to -6.0 
2.3% at 100% ethanol concentration. The above results show that, as water is replaced by ethanol, only a
minimal length change is observed. In addition, considering the error bars, the length change could be even
retained negligible. The fact that the concentrations of ethanol solutions had no major effects on the length
change of the potato strips could be due to the plant´s cell walls providing the cells with “mechanical strength
and support”43. When the strips experience dehydration they will not experience major length changes as their
cell walls still keep the structure of the cells intact despite water having left them. On the other hand, when water
enters the cells by osmosis “the tensile strength of the cell walls allows plant cells to develop turgor pressure”
protecting the cells from overexpansion and from bursting44. This causes a minimal increase in the potato strips´
size as the plant cells expand slightly. Overall, ethanol seems to cause a minimal effect on cells size: as ethanol
concentration increases, a minimal shrinking effect on the potato samples´ length can be observed.

Pearson Correlation Coefficient Statistical Test45

The Pearson Correlation Coefficient statistical test was also carried out to measure the strength of a liner
association between the concertation of ethanol solutions and the average percentage length change of the potato
strips. The results of the statistical test show that the Pearson Correlation Coefficient = -0.6505. This value
suggests a moderate negative correlation between these two variables, supporting the results shown in Graph 2:
as the ethanol concentration increases, the length of the potato strips decreases. However, the trend is neither as
sharp nor as strong as the one shown in Graph 1 regarding the relationship between the concertation of ethanol
solutions and the average percentage mass change of the potato strips.

Qualitative results

When analysing the qualitative results of the experiment another clear trend can be observed. As the
concentration of ethanol increases, the cells lose their yellow pigment and turn into very wrinkled and white

43
Bailey, R (2019) The Structure and Function of a Cell Wall online thoughtco.com. Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/cell-wall-373613 Accessed 19 December 2019
44
Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K. and Walter P (2002) Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th edition, Garland Science, New York online Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26928/ Accessed 19 December 2019
45
Socscistatistics.com, (n.d.) Social Science Statistics online Available at: https://www.socscistatistics.com/tests/pearson/default.aspx Accessed 19 December 2019

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potato strips, with an increasing darker centre as the cells dehydrate. A possible explanation for the darkening of
the potato cell could be that ethanol damages the potatoes, in a similar way as an external factor (e.g. pathogens)
would do46. Damages to potato cells cause them to release phenol oxidases, “copper-containing enzymes
responsible for the darkening of cut surfaces of plant tissue”, which lead to the darkening of the potato strips 47.
All the wrinkles observed in the potato samples further prove that the cells were subject to a lack of water,
directly proportional to the concentration of ethanol they had been soaked in.

Uncertainties

Looking at the results presented in Table 4, the relative uncertainties of the average length change of the potato
samples affected by ethanol (not distilled water) range from 36.8% to 175.0%.
This magnitude of relative uncertainty shows that the average length change was, in general, of the same order of
magnitude of the absolute uncertainty. This means that unfortunately, the instrument used to measure the length
change of the samples was not precise enough to be used to record such minimal changes. In theory, due to the
highly unprecise instrument used, these sets of measures should be retained inconclusive. In order to have more
accurate and precise results an instrument more precise than the one used in this experiment should be used.

On the other hand, the relative uncertainties of the average mass change of the potato samples affected by
ethanol (not distilled water) range from 9.0% to 23.0%. This magnitude of relative uncertainty shows that the
absolute uncertainty was, for most of the ethanol concentrations, of one order of magnitude smaller than the
measured mass change in the potato samples. This suggests that the scale used in the experiment was a
sufficiently precise measuring instrument to analyse the relationship between ethanol concentration and
dehydration.

Unfortunately, no theoretical values for the relationship between ethanol concentration and dehydration
were found. Therefore, no error or percentage error could be established, and not much could be concluded
regarding the accuracy of the experiment.

Conclusion
The experiment supports hypothesis 1. As a matter of fact, a higher ethanol concentration does cause higher
dehydration levels in potato cells. From the experiment´s results it can be seen that the ethanol treatment had a
large impact on the percentage mass change of the potato samples: -7.0  1.3% at 5% ethanol concentration to -
65.5  1.6% at 100% ethanol concentration, supporting the idea that as the ethanol concentration increases, so
does the mass loss the potato strips would experience due to dehydration. This was further proven by a Pearson
Correlation Coefficient value of - 0.9342, suggesting a strong negative correlation between ethanol concentration
and average percentage mass change of the potato cells. From this, it can be deduced that ethanol has a
remarkable impact in the dehydration of the cells due to the fact that it causes an important structural change to
the plant cells´ internal membrane and due to it successfully displacing water out of the potato cells48.
Such a clear trend was not experienced when analysing the effects that increasing ethanol concentrations had on
the percentage length change of the potato strips, due to the coarse instrument used to measure the length of the
potato strips. This is a clear limitation of the experiment which was identified during the data collection process
of the investigation. If the experiment were to be repeated, more effective planning will be considered in terms
of the instruments used to measure the dependent variables of the experiment. However, fortunately some
sensible conclusions were still able to be drawn. All the potato strips soaked in various ethanol concentrations
(5%,15%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%) experienced an overall minimal average percentage length shrinkage:
from -1.9 2.4 % at 5% ethanol concentration to -6.0  2.3% at 100% ethanol concentration. This was further
proven by a Person Correlation Coefficient value of -0.6505, suggesting a moderate negative correlation between
ethanol concentration and the average percentage length change of the potato strips. However, considering the
error bars of Graph 2, the length change experienced by the potato strips in different ethanol concentrations are
relatively all very similar and therefore the percentage length change of the potato strips could be even retained
negligible. This could be explained due to the function that cell walls have in a plant cell.
When analysing the effect that 0% ethanol concentration (i.e. distilled water) had on the potato cells, it was seen
that their mass and length increased: +30.0  1.3% and +14.2  2.4% respectively due to the process of osmosis
and therefore, due to water molecules being added to the cells.

46
Mangini, G., Miazzi, M. M., Montemurro, C, Pasqualone, A., Pavan,S. Taranto, F. and Tripodi, P (2017). `Polyphenol Oxidases in Crops: Biochemical, Physiological and Genetic
Aspects´, Int J Mol Sci, 18(2), 377, accessed on 10 August 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5343912/
47
Kozlowski T. T. and Pallardy S. G (1979) Physiology of woody Plants Second Edition, Academic press, San Diego, California, USA, p.142 online Available at:
https://books.google.it/books?id=XF_kL1hrs3MC&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=does+ethanol+cause+discoloration+in+potato+cells&source=bl&ots=_Z1y2ur4HP&sig=ACfU3U0_FBq
BBi4iGU6zyXTHl77a2pQhiA&hl=it&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjfnJyq0vjjAhWDs4sKHQjZDvIQ6AEwCXoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=does%20ethanol%20cause%20discoloration%20in%
20potato%20cells&f=false Accessed 10 August 2019
48
Klemm, WR (1998). ´ Biological water and its role in the effects of alcohol´, PubMed, 15 (3), 249-67, accessed on 6 August 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9539383

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Therefore, overall it can be said that higher concentrations of ethanol dehydrate the potato cells to a greater
extent. A similar trend can therefore be expected to be experienced in human cells when being subject to
different alcoholic beverages of increasing ethanol concentrations.

Evaluation
Table 6: to show the strengths of the experiment

Strengths Significance
Cling film The use of cling film to cover the beakers for 24 hours, did not allowed the ethanol to
evaporate, making sure the volume in each beaker stayed constant for the entire
experiment.
Range of ethanol The ethanol contractions selected for this experiment ranged from 0% to 100% including
concentration 5%, 15%, 40%, 60% and 80%. They represent a reasonably good number of
concentrations to establish significant conclusions regarding the ethanol concentrations
and their dehydrating effects.
Clear and gradual The qualitative data obtained was clear. It mirrored the quantitative data, well supporting
qualitative data hypothesis 1, and it increased the experiment’s validity. This was additional data that
confirmed the extent to which ethanol can cause cell dehydration.

Table 7: to show the weaknesses of the experiment

Weaknesses What is the weakness that occurred? / What is its significance? Possible ways of
improvement
Some potato Despite having placed the three potato samples in each beaker as far Next time each
strips away from each other as possible, after 24 hours, some samples were beaker should contain
coming in found touching one another. This caused some parts of the samples to only one sample.
contact with not have been directly in contact with ethanol for somewhat less than This will avoid the
each other 24 hours. Probably this reduced the amount of dehydration those potato strips from
samples experienced. stacking on each
other or interfering
with one another.
Ruler (30cm The relative uncertainties associated with the average length change A more precise
 0.05 cm) are of the same order of magnitude of the values measured. This instrument (e.g. a
suggests that, the ruler used to record values, turned out to be a not calliper) should have
precise enough instrument. This could not have been anticipated been used to measure
before carrying out the experiment. the length of the
potato samples.
Repeats Each beaker with a given ethanol concertation contained three potato Increase the number
strips. This allowed the experiment to be repeated three times. In of repeats from three
order to have even more accurate results the number of repeats to six by using six
should increase. potato strips instead
of three.

Extension
Based on the experiment’s results, it would be very interesting to test whether other substances are able to affect
cell dehydration, which in extreme cases can lead to serious complications 49, in order to establish a list of
substances that should be avoided. Furthermore, it could also be noteworthy to see how time of exposure for the
same ethanol concentration, affects the dehydration levels of the cells. This would require the potato strips to be
measured and weighed at regular intervals until a mass and length change can no longer be detected.

49
Sparks, D (2016). Dehydration can lead to serious complications online newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Available at: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/dehydration-can-
lead-to-serious-complications/ Accessed on 12 August 2019

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Appendix

Figure 6: to show how the untreated potato strips looked like

Set of figures 7: to show the qualitative results of the experiment

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Figure 8: to show the way the potato strips were set up in the beakers for 24 hours

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