The

Respirometer
 Capillary tube

Question

1. What process does the apparatus measure?

Answer

1. Respirometers measure the rate oxygen

uptake.
 Oil droplet

Question
2. i) In what units might the results be
measured?

Answer
2. There needs to be some measurement of
volume, mass of the specimen and of time.
e.g. mm3 g-1 hour-1
 Oil droplet

Question

3. Name substance A.

Answer

3. Soda lime
A
 Oil droplet

Question

4. What is the function of the soda lime?

CO2 Answer

Soda 4. To absorb carbon dioxide.

lime
 Oil droplet

Question

5. Suggest reasons for absorbing carbon

dioxide in this apparatus?

CO2 Answer
5. Carbon dioxide is produced by respiration
Soda and affects the volume and pressure of gas
lime in the tube. If the carbon dioxide is removed
by the soda lime it allows you to measure the
amount of oxygen used in aerobic respiration
 Oil droplet

Question

6. In which direction will the oil drop move.

Answer

6. Towards the test tube.

 Oil droplet

Question

7. Why does the oil droplet move towards the

O2 test tube?

Answer
CO2 7. The pressure in the test tube falls as
Soda oxygen is taken up by aerobic respiration and
lime the carbon dioxide that replaces it is
absorbed by the soda lime
Question
8. Give two reasons why the respirometer
should be placed in a thermostatically
controlled water bath.

Answer
8. ii)
8. i) ARespiration
change in temperature
is controlledwould cause
by enzymes
the gas
and the pressure
rate of aninenzyme
the testreaction
tube to change.
is effected
This
by will cause the oil droplet to move and
temperature.
give an incorrect reading.
Question
9. Suggest two reasons why the apparatus
was left for ten minutes, with the tap open,
when it was first placed in a water bath.

Answer
9. ii.
i. IfIt the
allows
apparatus
the specimen
is placed
toin
reach
a water
the bath
same
then changes
temperature
in temperature
as the water
will
bath
cause
changes in air pressure. Leaving the tap open
allows the pressure to equalise with the
outside air
Question
10. If the specimen in the respirometer was a
plant and not an animal what modifications
to the equipment would you need to make.

Answer
10. The respirometer is for measuring
respiration not photosynthesis so you have to
stop photosynthesis by placing the apparatus
in the dark.
The respirometer was used to measure the
rate of respiration of germinating seeds in air.
The distance moved by the oil drop was
measured at 15 minute intervals for one hour.
This was repeated with the air replaced by
nitrogen gas. The rate of respiration of small
insects in air was measured using the same
apparatus.
 The Table below shows results recorded by a student using this apparatus

Distance moved by liquid in 15 minute Mean rate of

Organism
intervals/mm respiration /mm min -1

Germinating seeds 7 6 5 6 0.4

Germinating seeds in
nitrogen gas
0 0 0 0 0
Insects 12 11 13 12 0.8

Question 11
11. Calculate the mean rates of respiration
expressed as movement of liquid in
millimetres per minute.
Question
12. The seeds in the experiment with
nitrogen gas continued to germinate. Suggest
an explanation for the lack of movement of
the liquid .

Answer
12. No oxygen is available for aerobic
respiration. The seeds must be respiring
anaerobically which does not require oxygen.
The carbon dioxide produced is absorbed and
therefore there is no net change in the
volume /pressure of gas. Therefore the oil
droplet will not move.
Question
13. Suggest reasons why a valid comparison cannot
be made between the mean rate of respiration of the
germinating seeds in air and the insects. For each
reason suggest a modification that would allow a
valid comparison.
Answer
13.
13. i.ii.
iii.The
Themass
The of theairorganisms
temperature
external has are controlled
not been
pressure may not
havestated and
and
altered
may
changingdiffer.
have the Either
changed use the same
during mass
the course
gas volume/pressure. of athe
Use for each
control
organism
experiment orchanging
with no organisms expressatthe
theresults per unit
volume/pressure
same time . mass e.g.
of gas.
e.g. mmthe3 g-1 hour-1.
Control temperature by using a water bath.
 Question
14. What is the function of the Pottasium
hydroxide (KOH) in this experiment

Answer

14. It absorbs the Carbon dioxide, (It is an

alternative to soda lime.)
KOH
 Question
15. What is the function of the roll of filter
paper

Answer
15. It increases the surface area of air in
Filter contact with sodium hydroxide and thus
paper speeds up absorption of carbon dioxide.
 Complex Respirometers

Question
16. Suggest a function of the second test
tube A in this more complex
respirometer .

Answer
16. The second test tube acts as a control
 Complex Respirometers

Question
17. Suggest how the syringe could be
used to check for leaks.

Answer
17. The syringe is pressed down
changing the level of the coloured oil. If
there are leaks present the oil will
gradually return to the original level.
 Complex Respirometers

Question
18. Give another function of the syringe.

Answer
18. The syringe is used to reset the oil
droplet to allow readings over a longer
time period.
Respiratory Quotient
Not in SNAB Edexcel Biology
The respirometer opposite was used to determine
the rate of respiration and the respiratory quotient
of blowfly larvae. In the first experiment 5 cm3 of
sodium hydroxide solution was placed in the test
tube and blowflies were placed on the wire cage.
The assembled apparatus was placed in a water
bath at 20°C, with the tap left open. After ten
minutes the tap was closed and the position of the
bead of liquid was recorded at 1 minute intervals.
A second experiment was carried out using 5cm3
of water instead of sodium hydroxide solution.
 Question
10. What is the function of the Sodium
hydroxide in this experiment

Answer

10. It absorbs the Carbon dioxide, (It is an

alternative to soda lime.)
NaOH
 Question
11. What is the function of the roll of filter
paper

Answer
11. It increases the surface area of air in
Filter contact with sodium hydroxide and thus
paper speeds up absorption of carbon dioxide.
 Position of liquid/mm
Time/ 1st 2nd
minutes experiment experiment

0 11 40
1 23 40
2 34 40
3 47 40
4 60 40
5 71 40
Question
12. Plot the results of the experiment on a
graph
 70
Position of liquid/mm
60

Position of liquid/mm
Time/ 1st 2nd
minutes experiment experiment

0 11 40 50

1 23 40 2nd experiment
40
2 34 40
3 47 40 30

4 60 40 20
5 71 40
0 1 2 3 4 5
Time/minutes
 Question
13. Explain why the bead of liquid moved in
the first experiment but not in the second

Answer
13. In the first experiment the pressure in the
test tube falls as oxygen is taken up by
aerobic respiration and the carbon dioxide
NaOH that replaces it is absorbed by the NaOH. In
or the second experiment the oxygen taken up
H2O in respiration is replaced by an equal amount
of carbon dioxide. There is no NaOH to
absorb the carbon dioxide.
 Question
14. Suggest a suitable control for this
experiment.

Answer
14. Replace the blowflies with glass beads
(or something similar). The glass beads are
not undergoing respiration and this will
NaOH demonstrate that movement of the oil droplet
or is due to respiration and not some other
H2O factor.
Question
15. The cross sectional area of the capillary tube was
1 mm2, and the blowfly had a mass of 0.5g. Calculate
the rate of oxygen consumption of the blowfly. Give
your answer in mm3 g-1 hour-1.

Answer
15. The oil droplet moves 60 mm in five
minutes ( 71-11). So that in 1 minute it
would have moved 12mm (60/5). In one hour
0.5g blowflies will have consumed 720 mm2
of oxygen ( 12 x 60). Therefore the blowflies
consume 1440 mm3 g-1 hour-1 , (720 x 2, there
are two 0.5 g in a gram).
 Question
16. Give the formulae used for calculating
respiratory quotient.

Answer
16. Respiratory Volume of CO2 produced
NaOH quotient = Volume of O consumed
2
or
H2O
 Question
17. Explain how the results of the second
experiment give an RQ = 1 for the blowfly.

Answer
17. The oil droplet does not move throughout
the 2nd experiment staying on 40mm.
NaOH Indicating that the amount of CO2 produced
or is exactly equal to the amount of O2
H2O consumed. We know the animal must be
respiring from the first experiment.
 Question
18. What does the results of the second
experiment indicate about the respiratory
substrate of the blowfly?

Answer
18. It suggests the substrate is a carbohydrate.

NaOH C6H12O6 + 6O2 = 6H2O + 6CO2

or
H2O
 Question
19. The equation represents oxidation of a lipid.
C57H104O6 + 80O2 = 52H2O + 57CO2
Calculate the respiratory quotient (RQ) of this lipid.

Answer
19. The RQ of this lipid =
C57H104O6 + 80O2 = 52H2O + 57CO2

57 = 0.7125
80
Question
20. Suggest why the RQ of a normal healthy
person varies over a 24 hour period.

Answer
20. After a meal when carbohydrates are abundant
the RQ of the individual is likely to be high. At
night carbohydrate levels fall and more fats are
consumed and the RQ level falls.