By convention, the water potential of pure water at ambient pressure and temperature is defined as zero. Any addition of solute lowers the solute potential (making it negative), and any positive pressure increases the pressure potential, so most biological solutions have a negative total water potential.
By convention, the water potential of pure water at ambient pressure and temperature is defined as zero. Any addition of solute lowers the solute potential (making it negative), and any positive pressure increases the pressure potential, so most biological solutions have a negative total water potential.