Enzymes and pH

Aim: to investigate the effect of pH on the activity of the enzyme catalase

Method/Materials: refer to sheet
Results:
Test tube number 10 mLs hydrogen
peroxide
Increase in height after 5
minutes (mm)
1 pH 1 6
2 pH 3 8
3 pH 7 8
4 pH 9 11
5 pH 11 0
Discussion:
Potato containing catalase was added to 5 test tubes, each containing a different pH of
hydrogen peroxide. The amount of oxygen released, in the form of froth bubbles, was
recorded. The test tube with a pH of 1 hydrogen peroxide produced 6mm bubbles, the test
tube with pH of 3 released 8mm, the test tube with pH of 7 released 8mm, the test tube
with pH of 9 released 11mm, and the test tube with pH of 11 did not release any.
Catalase is an enzyme that speeds up the breaking down of hydrogen peroxide into water
and oxygen:
hydrogen peroxide ---> water + oxygen gas
The rate at which oxygen is evolved reects the catalase enzyme activity. As enzyme
activity increases, so will the amount of oxygen produced by conversion. The hydrogen
peroxide with the pH of 9 produced the most oxygen. The pH of 9 was the most favourable
pH value, the point where the enzyme activity was greatest, known as the optimum pH.
The optimum pH varies from one enzyme to another. The theoretical optimum pH of
catalase is 7. From the experimental results, it can be estimated that the optimum pH of
catalase is 9. Repetition of the experiment would improve result reliability and perhaps
accuracy. A possible source of error could be that the amount of oxygen released was not
measured accurately.
Conclusion:
The effect of pH on the activity of the enzyme catalase was investigated through the
addition of catalase to different pHs of hydrogen peroxide. The amount of oxygen released
from the reaction reected the catalase enzyme activity.