Osmosis Gummy Bear Lab

							                                                             Name, Period
        Lab: Osmosis (Diffusion of Water) with Gummy Bears


Purpose: To investigate the movement
of water into and out of a polymer
(gelatin).

Background Information: Gummy
Bears are made of gelatin and sugar.
Gelatin is a polymer that forms large 3-
D matrices which give structural
support to jellies, jams, and other items.

Hypothesis: (leave blank space)

Materials: 2 cups, permanent marker,
2 gummy bears (different colors), tap
water, saturated salt solution, corn
syrup, ruler.

Procedure:
1. In a group of 4 people, obtain 2
 cups, 2 gummy bears, and a ruler.
2. Write everyone’s initials and class
 period on 2 pieces of tape. Affix tape
 to cups.
3. Using tape, label 1 cup “Tap Water”
 and 1 cup “Corn Syrup”.
4. Measure your bears (in cm) for
 length, width, and height. Record this
 in your data table.
5. Place bears in cups and cover with
 the appropriate solution (tap water or
 corn syrup).
6. Let sit overnight.
7. On the next day, carefully pour liquid
 out and catch the bear on a paper
 towel. Rinse corn syrup cup at the
 sink.
8. Measure length, width and height
 again in your data table.
  9. Put bears back in appropriate cups.
   Cover bears with saturated salt
   solution.
  10. Let sit overnight.
  11. Repeat steps 7 and 8, recording
   final data on data table.
  12. Calculate volume of each bear in
   the last column (l x w x h).
   Data (in centimeters):
       Tap Water
               Length Width Height     Volume
Before water
After water
After salt
water

       Corn Syrup
               Length   Width Height   Volume
Before corn
syrup
After corn
syrup
After salt
water

  Observations:
    Day 1:

        Day 2:

        Final:
                        Name ____________________Per_____


            Osmosis in Gummy Bears
                 Lab Write-Up
  Conclusions: (These answers must
  be written in complete sentences.)

    1. What happened to the bears
     when placed in tap water? Why?
2. What happened to the bears
 when placed in corn syrup? Why?




3. What happened to the “tap water
 bear” when placed into the salt
 solution? Why?




4. What happened to the “corn
 syrup bear” when placed into the salt
 solution? Why?
5. Determine whether the salt
 solution would be considered
 hypertonic or hypotonic in each
 situation.




6. After calculating the volumes of
the bears in your data table, construct
a line graph showing the volume
changes for each bear. See the
teacher demonstration for help. Use
the back of this paper to make your
graph.