ACTION OF

CATALASE ON
HYDROGEN
Chief Squad
PEROXIDE
Baraquil, Ruchie Ann P.
Calderon, Jethro
Dichos, Kaye Bryant Ennery
Montayre, Ma. Kimberly
Sevilla, Britz Aeron
Material:
▪ 60mL Hydrogen peroxide or agua oxygenada 3% solution Procedure:
▪ 1 piece of potato (or liver from chicken, pork or beef if available), use only enough Note: Use only an enough portion of potato for the experiment.
▪ Acid: 20mL Vinegar 2. Peel the potato. Cut, into cubes, equally on your desired size.
▪ Base: 1 tablespoon Baking powder (or chopped to fine powder bath soap, except dove Preliminary experiment:
soap or kojic acid soap or 3. On a separate glass, place one (1) cube each of the potato.
any soap that is not acidic). Note: check pH level of the soap you are using to confirm 4. Add separately 5 drops of water and 5 drops of hydrogen peroxide in the
pH level as basic glasses with potato cube.
▪ 20mL Tap, Cold and Hot water 5. Observe if the results.
▪ 5 clear glasses with the same size (preferably taller glass or long neck narrow glass) Main experiment:
that will serve as your 100mL 6. Separately mash five (5) cubes to create a fine substance and place it in

graduated cylinder or 300mL beaker. Hence, please mark the glasses with uniform the assigned glass container.

calibration if possible. 7. Place the following materials in the assigned glass.

Label the glasses with: Acid, Base, Hot water, Cold water, Tap (neutral) ▪ Glass #1: acidic solution (ex. Vinegar)

But make a separate 2 empty glasses for the preliminary experiment. One for water (in ▪ Glass #2: one (1) tablespoon of the basic powder (ex. Baking powder)

room temperature) and one for ▪ Glass #3: cold water

hydrogen peroxide. ▪ Glass #4: hot water

▪ Kitchen knife for chopping of the potato (you might include peeler for the removal of its ▪ Glass #5: tap water (room temp.)

skin) 8. Leave for 3 minutes. Drain only the acid, cold, hot and tap water after.

▪ Chopping board 9. Add 10mL of hydrogen peroxide in each of the glasses.

▪ Mortar and pestle (food processor or blender, if available) 10. Observe the results and compare. You may use calibration as one way

▪ Medicine cup, syringe, or calibrated dropper for measuring volumes of hydrogen to present your observations.

peroxide and other solutions

SCHEMATIC
DIAGRAM
Peel the potato. Cut, into
cubes, equally on your
desired size
On a separate glass,
place one (1) cube each
of the potato.

. Separately mash five (5)

cubes to create a fine
Add separately 5 drops of water substance and place it in the
and 5 drops of hydrogen peroxide assigned glass container.
in the glasses with potato cube..

Place the following

Observe the results. materials in the assigned
glass.

Leave for 3 minutes.

▪ Glass #1: acidic solution (ex. Vinegar) Drain only the acid, cold,
hot and tap water after.
▪ Glass #2: one (1) tablespoon of the basic
powder (ex. baking powder)
▪ Glass #3: cold water Add 10mL of hydrogen
peroxide in each of the
▪ Glass #4: hot water
glasses.
▪ Glass #5: tap water (room temp.)

Observe the results and

compare. You may use
calibration as one way
to present your
observations.
Post Laboratory Questions
1. Using the equation below, supply the reaction involved in 2. How did you account for the physical observation of the
the experiment. action of catalase?

2H2O2 ⇆ O2 → Catalase + 2H2O + O2 Close monitoring of the sample as different substances were dropped
Wherein the catalase act as a catalyzing enzyme that is and placed on the sample. By closely monitoring the reaction it can
responsible for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide which help in determining what type of reaction has occurred and answer

is the substrate into water and oxygen creating an enzyme- why that reaction has occurred.

substrate complex and then in to the product.

3. Which of the enzyme specificity is represented in the 4. State the optimum pH and temperature of catalase enzyme.
experiment, conducted in the preliminary part? Why?

The optimum pH of the human catalase enzyme is approximately 7

Absolute specificity but the rate of reaction doesn’t change favourable between 6.8 and
Because there was only one reaction that was catalyzed. 7.5. On the other hand, the optimum temperature is 37 degrees.