HowTemperatureAffectstheRateofOxygenProductioninCatalaseReaction

Introduction
Forthislab,Itooktheenzymecatalaseanddidanexperimenttotestwhichtemperatures
wouldhavethegreatestgasreaction.Enzymesactasacatalystandbringoutdifferentreactions
inchemicalorganisms.Enzymescanbereusedandonlymakereactionsfaster.Myhypothesis
wasthatifthetemperatureoftheenzymeiswarmer,thentheenzymewillproducemoregas
becausehotenvironmentsproducemoregas,andcoldenvironmentsproducemoresolids.The
purposeofthelabistoseewhichenzymesproducemoregas:hot,cold,orroomtemperature.

MaterialsandMethods/Procedures
Formyenzymelab,Iusedrawbeefliver,hydrogenperoxide,anddifferentmeasuring
toolstocompletethelab.Iusedatubofwater(23C),agraduatedcylinders,athermometer,a
beaker,hotplate,refrigeratortweezers,filterpaper.Todothelab,Iholepunchedapaperand
usedthelittlepiecesIpunchedout.Iusedtweezerstodipthepaperintheroomtemperature
(20C)ofblendedupbeefliver.ThenIputfourpiecesofliverpaperintoatesttubeononeside.
AfterthatIpouredintenmillilitersofhydrogenperoxide,makingsuretonotletittouchthe
liver.ThenIputthecaponthetubeandcarefullyplaceditinthetubofwater,stillnotlettingthe
hydrogenperoxideandlivertouch.IhadatimernexttomeandwhenIturnedthetube
upsidedownIstartedtheclockfor30seconds.Iheldagraduatedcylinderontheendofthetest
tubewherethegaswasbeingreleased.Attheendof30secondsIlookedatthebeakertosee

howmanymillilitersofgaswasproduced.ThenIdidthistwomoretimeswiththeliver.I
repeatedthesesamestepswiththecoldliver(11C)andhotliver(50C).
Data
Mydatashowedthatmyhypothesiswassupported.Fortheroomtemperatureliverthe
averagewas42.6milliliters.Forthecoldtemperaturetheaveragewas53milliliters.Forthehot
temperaturetheaveragewas63milliliters.Afterdoingallthreetrialsforthethreedifferent
temperatures,Ifoundthatthehotliverproducedthemostgas.

Conclusion
Thepurposeofmylabwastotestwhichtemperaturesproducedthemostgaswhen
mixedwithhydrogenperoxide.Myhypothesisstatedthatifthetemperatureoftheenzymeis
warmer,thantheenzymewillproducemoregasbecausehotenvironmentsproducemoregas,
andcoldenvironmentsproducemoresolids.Myhypothesiswassupportedbecausethedata
resultsshowedthathotcatalaseproducedthemostgas.
AtrendIsawinourdatawasthateveryresultwasabout10millilitershigher.The
averageroomtemperatureproduced42.6millilitersofgas(orroundeditis43).Theaveragecold
produced53millilitersofgas.Andfinally,theaveragehotproducedwas63millilitersofgas.
Therewereafewerrorsthatcouldhaveaffectedourresults.First,whenIwasputtingtheliver
papersinthetesttube,IgotsomeliveronthetopofthetesttubesowhenIpouredthehydrogen
peroxideinalittlereactionstartedbeforeIturnedthetubeupsidedown.Thiscouldveaffected
mydatabecauseitcouldhavecausedasmallerreactionifpartofthereactionalreadyhappened.
Anothererrorwaswiththehotliver.Idid3differenttrialswithitatdifferenttimesandthe

earliertestsweredonewhentheliverwasntfullycooked,whereasthelasttestItook,theliver
wasfullycooked.Thiscouldveaffectedmyresultsbecausethereisadifferentreactionbetween
uncookedliverandcookedliver.Whentheliveriscooked,itbeginstobreakdownanddestroy
enzymeswhichchangesthereaction.Finally,anothererrorcouldvebeennotfullydryingout
thetesttubeforeachtrial.Ialwaysrinsedthetube,sowatercouldhaveaffectedthereaction.
IfIeverdidthisexperimentagain,IwouldchangehowIheatedandcooledtheliver.I
wouldleavethecoldliverontheicepacklongertogetmoreaccurateresultsandwouldwait
untiltheliverisfullycookedtodoallthreetrialssothattheyareallthesame.
Thepurposeofthelabwastoseewhichenzymeproducedthemostgas:hot,cold,or
roomtemperature.Myhypothesiswasthatifthetemperatureoftheenzymeiswarmer,thenthe
enzymewillproducemoregasbecausehotenvironmentsproducemoregas,andcold
environmentsproducemoresolids.Afterdoingallthreetrialsforthethreedifferent
temperatures,Ifoundthatthehotliverproducedthemostgas.

WorksCited

EnzymePowerpointonMoodle

"PsychologyDepartment."N.p.,n.d.Web.27Jan.2015.