A student investigated the movement of water across selectively permeable cell membranes using uniform cylinders of butternut squash.
The cylinders were cut to equal lengths, carefully dried of surface moisture, and weighed. Each cylinder was then placed into a test tube containing a different concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl) solution.
After 12 hours, the cylinders were removed, gently patted dry with a paper towel, and weighed again. The results of the investigation are shown in the table below.
| Concentration of NaCl solution (mol dm−3\text{mol dm}^{-3}mol dm−3) | Mass at start (g) | Mass after 12 hours (g) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0 (Distilled water) | 8.5 | 9.4 |
| 0.3 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| 0.6 | 8.5 | 7.4 |
Evaluate the results of this investigation.
You should include calculations using the data in the table.
