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Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to observe and understand the effects of changes in temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, and substrate concentration on the reaction rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Another purpose of the lab was to explain how environmental factors affect the rate of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Hypothesis: I believe that if there is an increase in enzyme concentration, an increase in temperature, or an increase in pH, then the intensity of the reaction will increase, which will cause greater alterations in the product of the reaction.
I think this because when there is an increase in temperature or pH substrates collide with active sites more frequently due to molecules moving rapidly. Materials: See attached Procedure: See attached Data: See attached Analysis/Conclusion: My hypothesis proved to be correct. In the experiment as enzyme concentration, the enzyme being catalase, increased the amount of substrate, hydrogen peroxide decreased. This observation, which is shown on the graph on page 27, helps show that the rate and the extent of the reaction increase due to greater enzyme activity.
The initial rate of the reaction is highest at the 0 to 10 time interval because this is when there is the highest concentration of substrate available, which means that there is more substrate for the enzymes to react with. The reaction was stopped when sulfuric acid was added because sulfuric acid lowers the pH and denatures the enzyme. From this lab, I learned that it is possible to measure the amount of product formed, or substrate used, from the moment the reactants are brought together until the reaction has stopped. The lab also brought clarity to what factors affect the rate of a reaction.