Title: Testing Catalysts

Aim: Describe experiments to investigate the use of a catalyst Materials

on the rate of a reaction. Understand the term ‘activation required
energy’ and that a catalyst speeds up a reaction by providing CuO, MnO2, liver,
an alternative pathway with lower activation energy. potato, 10ml
measuring cylinders,
Boiling tubes,
2 vol hydrogen
Safety. Goggles, H2O2 is an irritant at these peroxide.
concentrations. MnO2 can be harmful to the eyes and skin.

Method:
1. Use a measuring cylinder to put 5cm3 of hydrogen peroxide into 6 separate boiling tubes.
2. The first is a control. Add ¼ of a spatula of copper oxide to the second, ¼ of a spatula of
manganese dioxide to the third, ½ spatula of manganese dioxide to the fourth, 1 piece of
potato to the fifth and 1 piece of liver to the last.
3. Record your results and observations in the following table.
Test Tube Catalyst Observations
1 None
2 ¼ CuO
3 ¼ MnO2
4 ½ MnO2
5 Potato

6 liver

Analysis:
1. What gas is given off in this reaction?
2. What is the purpose of test tube 1?
3. What do catalysts do to the rate of a reaction?
4. Which catalyst worked best?
5. Does the amount of catalyst affect the rate of reaction?
6. Is the catalyst used up in the reaction? Can it be used again? If you have time filter off some
catalyst from test tube 4 and try it with some fresh hydrogen peroxide.
7. Use the particle collision theory to explain how you think a catalyst works.
8. What do you think ‘activation energy’ means?

Extension:
1. Give the balanced symbol equation for this reaction.
2. What is the biological catalyst responsible for the reactions in test tube 5 and 6? How do
these differ from other catalysts?
3. Why do you think catalysts are useful?
4. Find out how what ‘heterogeneous’ and ‘homogeneous’ catalysts are and how each works.