Rate of Reaction Using Enzymes

Rate of Reaction Using Enzymes

In this bit of coursework I will be investigating the rate of reaction

in which enzymes are the catalyst breaking down a substrate. The

substrate I am going to use is Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2, water with

another Oxygen), this molecule usually breaks down on its own accord,

but also the rate of decomposition can be increased with the use of a

catalyst; in this case the catalyst is a biological one called an

enzyme. Hydrogen Peroxide slowly breaks down on its own accord into

water (H2O) and oxygen (O2):

2 H2O2 à 2H2O + O2

Hydrogen Peroxide à Water + Oxygen

In my experiment, I want to investigate the rate of reaction with an

enzyme, and the enzyme I will add to the Hydrogen Peroxide will be

Catalase. The enzyme will accelerate the rate of reaction without

being used up, for that is a property of a catalyst is, it speeds up a

reaction without being used up, and an enzyme is a biological

catalyst.

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Method

Before doing my 'actual' experiment from which I would take my data

and ultimately come up with a conclusion I did a preliminary

experiment, which was for a number of reasons. Firstly, I had no

previous experience of doing this reaction and so needed an idea of

how it went: how quickly, how much oxygen was produced and what

measurements to use. Also there were two different experiments in

which I could have got my data from, one of the experiments was

relatively simple and the other more complex but also more accurate.

The first experiment I had a choice to do was one in which I had a

rack of six test tubes; the procedure I had to follow was simple, I

had to put 5...

... middle of paper ...

... * Rate of reaction will double because there will twice as many

particles and therefore the chance of a collision between the

reactants with enough energy will be double, and therefore the

rate of reaction will be twice as quick. This is true until the

maximum rate of reaction is reached, an enzyme only works up to a

maximum speed.

All the data I have collected backs this conclusion up until 50% were

things don't seem to fall into place. But in the experiment I did on

the first day you can see that it supports my conclusion al the up

until 100% concentration.

This is true up until the maximum rate of reaction of an enzyme is

reached; an enzyme has a maximum rate of reaction and can work

proportionally quicker as a factor proportionally increases until it

reaches a maximum rate of reaction.