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How to State Slope Results in an Osmosis Lab Report

Osmosis is the natural process that allows cells to interact with their environments. Water molecules flow across the cell membrane into the cell from higher concentration to lower concentration regions. This property enables such medical technologies as dialysis, an artificial form of blood filtration for kidney disease patients. Students can gain a better understanding of osmosis through lab experiments with rigorous follow-up questions. Requiring students to calculate the slope results for the diffusion improves their conceptual understanding of the process.

Instructions

- 1
  Subtract the weight of the sample at each observation time from the previous observation.
- 2
  Divide by the difference in weight by the amount of time elapsed between each observation. Repeat the same calculation with each observation period.
- 3
  Find the average of osmosis rates by adding the rates for each observation period and dividing by the number of observation periods.
- 4
  Present the slope results in a chart with the change in weight per change in time as the row, and observation time as the columns. Include the total average slope result as the final column. For example, a slope result might be .4 grams per minute.
- 5
  Include your calculations as an appendix to your lab report.

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