Name: Tonique Burke

Date: January 19,2023

Experiment #:

Title: Enzyme PD

Problem Statement: Plan and Design an experiment to investigate the effect of temperature

on an enzyme controlled reaction.

Hypothesis: Temperature does affect how fast potatoes break down hydrogen peroxide.

Aim: To investigate how temperature affects the rate at which potatoes break down.

Apparatus: hydrogen peroxide, 3 test tubes, tripod, Bunsen burner; 1 potato, beaker, water,

matches, splint, measuring cylinder, ruler

Method:

1. Cut three 4 cm potato strips from the potato.

2. Label three test tubes Room, Boil and Frozen.

3. Leave one of the potato strips at room temperature .

4. Place the second potato strip in the freezer for about 30 to 40 minutes.

5. Boil the last piece of potato in a water bath for about 5 minutes.

6. Place the room temperature potato in the it’s respected beaker and add 8 ml of

hydrogen peroxide so that the potato will be fully covered.

7. Measure the effervescence seen with the ruler.

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the frozen and boiled potatoes.

9. Observe the potatoes and then tabulate in a table.

TABLE SHOWING THE HEIGHT OF EFFERVESCENCE AND THE EFFECT THAT
EACH TEST HAD ON THE GLOWING SPLINT

Type of Potato Effervescence seen Effect on glowing splint

(cm)

Room temperature

Frozen

Boiled

VARIABLES

Independent variable: The temperature or state of which each potato temperature is tested.

Dependent variables:

1. The size of effervescence seen while the reaction is taking place.

2. The effect that each test has on the glowing splint.

Constant/Control variables:

1. The length of the potato strips used in the test.

2. The amount of hydrogen peroxide used in each test.

3. The type of potato used.

4. The type of hydrogen peroxide used in the test.

Control setup: The potato that was left at room temperature without any alteration being

done to it.
Expected Results:

The potato that was placed in the water bath to boil for five minutes should produce

little to no effervescence and would not relight a glowing splint, the potato that was placed in

the freezer to freeze should have fewer effervescence than that of the one that was stored or

kept at room temperature.

Explanation:

Enzymes are 3-dimensional globular proteins that help in speeding up the rate of

reactions without themselves being altered or changed in the process. The potatoes contain an

enzyme known as catalase that helps in breaking down hydrogen peroxide to water and

oxygen. Almost all living organisms contains catalase including us.The boiled potato should

produce little to no effervescence and will not relight a glowing splint because the heat that

was added to the potato deteriorated it so it made it impossible for the catalase enzyme to

break down the hydrogen peroxide. The frozen potato should have a smaller amount of

effervescence of that of the potato that was left to sit at room temperature because the cold

temperature that the potato strip was placed in slowed down its catalytic metabolism to break

down the hydrogen peroxide. So if the reaction is slowed down then that will result in less

effervescence seen during the reaction due to the fact that it is not happening at a fast rate.

This then means that the glowing splint should not glow brightly because the test tube will

not have as much oxygen in it. However the potato that was placed at room temperature

should relight the glowing splint brightly and will produce a great amount of effervescence.

This is because enzymes work best at room temperature,due to this the catalase enzyme in the

potato should be able to break down more hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.Which

as said before will relight the glowing splint and produce a lot of effervescence.
Expected limitation:

The temperature at which the atmosphere is when the potato strip was left to sit at room

temperature is something that cannot be controlled. If the weather is cold or hot it is all

natural.

Expected sources of error:

1. One could cut the length of the potato incorrectly which could affect the results seen.

2. One could measure the amount amount of hydrogen peroxide wrong which could

change or alter the results of the test