GCSE (9–1)

Gateway Science Biology A and

Twenty First Century Science Biology B

Biology PAG 4: Rates of Enzyme Controlled

Reactions
Combined Science PAG B3: Rates of enzyme
controlled reactions
Suggested Activity 2: Investigating the Effect of
Temperature on the Activity of Lipase

Instructions and answers for teachers & technicians

This practical activity is composed of two parts; a teacher/technician section and the learner activity
which can be found on page 9. This Practical activity supports OCR GCSE Biology.

When distributing the activity section to the learners either as a printed copy or as a Word file
you will need to remove the teacher instructions section.

This is a suggested practical activity that can be used as part of teaching the GCSE (9-1)
Gateway Science (A) and Twenty First Century Science (B) specifications.

These are not controlled assessment tasks, and there is no

requirement to use these particular activities.
You may modify these activities to suit your learners and centre. Alternative activities are
vailable from, for example, Royal Society of Biology, Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of
Physics, CLEAPSS and publishing companies, or of your own devising.

urther details are available in the specifications (Practical Skills Topics), and in these videos.

Version 1.2 (June 2021) 1 © OCR 2021

GCSE (9–1) Gateway Science Biology A and
Twenty First Century Science Biology B Practical Activity (Teacher Instructions)

Version 1.2 (June 2021) 2 © OCR 2021

GCSE (9–1) Gateway Science Biology A and
Twenty First Century Science Biology B Practical Activity (Teacher Instructions)

Method
1. Label 4 test tubes with the temperatures you will be testing (0oC, 20oC, 40oC, 70oC) and place them
in a test tube rack.

2. Add 5 drops of phenolphthalein to each of the test tubes.

3. Measure out 5cm3 of milk using a measuring cylinder and add this to each of the four test tubes.
4. Using another measuring cylinder, measure out 7 cm3 of sodium carbonate solution and add this to
each test tube. The solution should now be pink.
5. There is;
a. An ice bath containing a cold lipase solution (0oC),
b. A conical flask containing lipase at room temperature (20oC)
c. Two water baths containing hot lipase solution (40oC, 70oC).

Take one of your test tubes over to the corresponding lipase solution you are going to use first.

6. Use a syringe to measure out 1 cm3 of lipase solution and place the lipase solution into the test tube.

7. Place a bung in the test tube and shake for 5 seconds.

8. Remove the bung.

9. Get your stop clock ready.

10. Stand the test tube back in the ice bath, water bath, or in your test tube rack for room temperature
(where the lipase came from).

11. Quickly start the stop clock.

12. Stir the contents of the test tube with a glass rod, until the solution loses its pink colour.

13. Stop the clock and note the time in a table of results.

14. Take the temperature of the lipase solution, with the thermometer and note the temperature in a
suitable table of results.

15. Calculate the rate of reaction, by 1÷time taken. Note the rate of reaction in a suitable table of results.

Version 1.2 (June 2021) 3 © OCR 2021

GCSE (9–1) Gateway Science Biology A and
Twenty First Century Science Biology B Practical Activity (Teacher Instructions)

Technician Notes
For this practical the teacher will require for a class of 30 (15 pairs):
 60 test tubes
 60 test tube bungs
 15 test tube racks
 30 10cm3 measuring cylinders
 60cm3 lipase
 An ice bath with test tube racks (0oC),/ tubs of ice, Two water baths (40oC, 70oC).
 4 Bottles of sodium carbonate solution
(only 420 cm3 required for the glass in total, splitting across 4 bottles avoids queuing)
 4 beakers of milk
(only 300 cm3 required for the glass in total, splitting across 4 bottles avoids queuing)
 15 stop clocks
 15 thermometers

Prior to the experiment, the following should be organised;

 An ice bath containing a cold lipase solution (~ 0oC),

 A conical flask containing lipase at room temperature (~ 20oC)
 Two water baths containing a hot lipase solution (~ 40oC, ~ 70oC).

NB/ 1cm3 of lipase will be required for each group, at each temperature.
Therefore, each water bath will require a minimum of 15cm3 lipase. A total of 60cm3 lipase will be
required, but this will need to be distributed across the four settings.

Version 1.2 (June 2021) 4 © OCR 2021

GCSE (9–1) Gateway Science Biology A and
Twenty First Century Science Biology B Practical Activity (Teacher Instructions)

Answers for quiz questions

1. What is the difference between the ‘time taken’ and a ‘rate of reaction’ curve?
The graphs show a similar pattern.
The time taken shows a decrease, then an increase.
The rate of reaction curve shows in increase then a decrease.

RATE OF REACTION
Time

Tempertature TEMPERATURE

2. When fat breaks down, what is produced? Glycerol, fatty acids

3. Use this information to explain why the phenolphthalein changes colour

The sodium carbonate is acidic, so turns the Phenolphthalein pink. When the lipase breaks
down the fat in the milk, the fatty acids produced increase the acidity of the solution, turning
it from pink to clear.
4. What is the effect of temperature on the time taken for lipase to break down the fat in milk?
As the temperature increases, the time taken for the lipase to break down the fat decreases
until the optimum temperature of 37oC.

Extension 1: Why does the temperature affect the action of lipase in this way?
Enzymes work at their fastest rate at an optimum temperature of 37oC. Temperatures higher than
this, can denature the enzyme (active site is deformed).

Extension 2: Why is it necessary to break down fat in the digestive system?

So it is soluble/so it can be absorbed by the small intestine.

Version 1.2 (June 2021) 5 © OCR 2021

GCSE (9–1) Gateway Science Biology A and
Twenty First Century Science Biology B Practical Activity (Teacher Instructions)

Document updates
v1 December 2017 Published on the qualification pages
v1.2 June 2021 Update to meet digital accessibility standards

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Version 1.2 (June 2021) 6 © OCR 2021

GCSE (9–1)
Gateway Science Biology A and
Twenty First Century Science Biology B

Biology PAG 4: Rates of Enzyme Controlled

Reactions
Suggested Activity 2: Investigating the Effect of
Temperature on the Activity of Lipase

Learner Activity

Introduction
In this activity, you will investigate how the activity of the enzyme lipase changes with temperature.
Additionally, in this you will consider how indicators help us to follow chemical reactions.

An enzyme is a biological catalyst. The enzyme lipase specifically targets lipids. Lipase breaks lipids
down into fatty acids and glycerol.

Phenolphthalein is a pH indicator, that is pink in an alkaline solution around pH10. In a solution with a pH
below pH8, phenolphthalein will turn colourless.

A solution of sodium carbonate and milk, is an alkaline solution. When Phenolphthalein is added to this
solution, it will be pink. When lipase is added to this solution, it will begin to break down the lipids in the
milk, producing fatty acids. This will lower the pH of the solution, turning the phenolphthalein colourless.
The rate at which this reaction occurs will depend on the temperature.

Aims
To investigate how temperature effects the rate of enzyme-controlled reactions.

Version 1.2 (June 2021) 7 © OCR 2021

GCSE (9–1) Gateway Science Biology A and
Twenty First Century Science Biology B Practical Activity (Learner Activity)

Method
1. Label 4 test tubes with the temperatures you will be testing (0oC, 20oC, 40oC, 70oC) and place
them in a test tube rack.

2. Add 5 drops of phenolphthalein to each of the test tubes.

3. Measure out 5cm3 of milk using a measuring cylinder and add this to each of the four test tubes.
4. Using another measuring cylinder, measure out 7 cm3 of sodium carbonate solution and add this
to each test tube. The solution should now be pink.
5. There is;
a. An ice bath containing a cold lipase solution (0oC),
b. A conical flask containing lipase at room temperature (20oC)
c. Two water baths containing hot lipase solution (40oC, 70oC).

Take one of your test tubes over to the corresponding lipase solution you are going to use first.

6. Use a syringe to measure out 1 cm3 of lipase solution and place the lipase solution into the test
tube.

7. Place a bung in the test tube and shake for 5 seconds.

8. Remove the bung.

9. Get your stop clock ready.

10. Stand the test tube back in the ice bath, water bath, or in your test tube rack for room
temperature (where the lipase came from).

11. Quickly start the stop clock.

12. Stir the contents of the test tube with a glass rod, until the solution loses its pink colour.

13. Stop the clock and note the time in a table of results.

14. Take the temperature of the lipase solution, with the thermometer and note the temperature in a
suitable table of results.

15. Calculate the rate of reaction, by 1÷time taken. Note the rate of reaction in a suitable table of
results.

Version 1.2 (June 2021) 8 © OCR 2021

GCSE (9–1) Gateway Science Biology A and
Twenty First Century Science Biology B Practical Activity (Learner Activity)

Temperature of Time taken for solution to Rate of reaction

Lipase go from pink to colourless (1÷time taken)
(oC)
(mins/secs)

0    
20    
40    
70    

Health and Safety

 Flame hazard - Keep the phenolphthalein solution away from naked flames.
 Splash hazard - Wear eye protection and quickly rinse any splashes of enzyme solution/
phenolphthalein or sodium carbonate from the skin.

Quiz questions
1. Plot a line graph of temperature against rate of reaction.

2. Plot a line graph of temperature against time taken.

3. What is the difference between a ‘time taken’ and a ‘rate of reaction’ curve for this investigation?

4. When fat breaks down, what is produced?

5. Use this information to explain why the phenolphthalein changes colour.

6. What is the effect of temperature on the time taken for lipase to break down the fat in milk?

Extension 1: Why does the temperature affect the action of lipase in this way?

Extension 2: Why is it necessary to break down fat in the digestive system?

DfE Apparatus and Techniques covered

If you are using the OCR Practical Activity Learner Record Sheet (Biology / Combined Science) you
may be able to tick off the following skills:

Biology Combined Science

1-iv 1-v 1-vi 1-iv 1-v 1-vi
2-ii 5-iii 2-ii 5-iii

Version 1.2 (June 2021) 9 © OCR 2021