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How to teach osmosis

How to teach osmosis
I originally used this instructable as a demonstration to explain osmosis to my classes.
Over the years many of my pupils told me they'd tried it for themselves at home (got their interests, half my job was done).  I've started using this method as a practical with some of my classes with great results and plenty of opportunities for pupils to visualise  cells and osmosis also  for extension work to challenge the more able (you know the one that has finished, while you're still explaining what to do to others).
Over all it does take 5 days but you can take about 2 days off by putting the eggs in vinegar yourself but it does loose some of its WOW.
I took these photos before I decided to make this instructable so sorry if photo doesn't quite fit the step.
 
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Step 1Equipment

Equipment
2 x eggs
about 500ml of vinegar (I normally use the distilled white vinegar, but this bottle was only 14p)
2 x 250ml Beakers
bag of sugar
2 x 500ml beakers
Post it notes or Sticky labels

1 x balance (the more accurate the better)
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7 comments
Feb 16, 2012. 7:55 AMlcat says:
Excellent!
Jan 29, 2012. 12:19 PMlmperkins says:
Nice job. I teach organic chemistry, but I'll forward this to my general chemistry colleagues.
Jan 29, 2012. 8:48 AMSovereignty says:
Are you entering this project in the teacher contest?
Jan 29, 2012. 8:02 AMSovereignty says:
Thanks. Home school teachers appreciate this kind of project.
Jan 28, 2012. 4:01 PMTheGreatS says:
Wonderful Instructable, bravo. When I did this, watching the eggs grow and shrink was very exiting. Try putting the eggs in Karo syrup or corn syrup. The effects are very dramatic ;-). Hooray for science!
Jan 27, 2012. 4:56 PMkelseymh says:
Yay, science! I'm a working physicist, and p-chem like this has always been my downfall. Somehow, the fact that osmotic pressure can work even in the absence of a physical pressure difference still seems like magic :-)

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Author:148734
I'm a science teacher who enjoys making things that I can use in class to help my pupils understand and enjoy science.