Question: How will increasing substrate concentration affect the rate (v0) of an enzymatic reaction if the enzyme concentration

is held constant for the different trials? Hypothesis: Increasing the substrate concentration will affect the rate (v0) of an enzymatic reaction if the enzyme concentration is held constant for different trials. Argument in support of the hypothesis: Passive transport involves the diffusion of a substance across a membrane with no energy investment (Campbell Biology 9th ed. p. 132). Molecules move and collide with one another in the cell and create energy in the form of heat. One result of this motion is diffusion, which is the movement of molecules from a region of relatively high to low concentration (Campbell Biology 9th ed. p. 132). A substance will diffuse down its concentration gradient, the region along which the density of a chemical substance increases or decreases (Campbell Biology 9th ed. p. 132). When dynamic equilibrium is reached, the solute molecules continue to cross the membrane, but at equal rates in both directions (Campbell Biology 9th ed. p. 132). The rate of diffusion is influenced by many factors which include how frequently solute and solvent collide with each other (Bio 05LA Lab Manual lab3, p.1). If the density (the number of solute molecules per unit volume) is increased; the probability of a collision between solute and solvent is also increased (Bio 05LA Lab Manual lab3, p.1). The more substrate molecules that are available, the more frequently they access the active sites of the enzyme molecules (Campbell Biology 9th ed. p. 155). The random collisions and probability of more frequent collisions occurring in areas where solutes are more concentrated work together to move the solute molecules into the available space (Bio 05LA Lab Manual lab3, p.1). More energy will be transferred to the solutes and their movement down the concentration gradient will become quicker and quicker. As a result, by increasing the solute concentration should influence and increase the rate of diffusion of the solute particles down their concentration gradients. Experimental strategy: During this experiment, we placed various drops of the solute concentrations on exterior regions of agar-filled test tubes and allowed them to incubate for 20 minutes. The agar-filled tubes are spun for the same amount of time, so the rate of diffusion of solutes will be determined from how far the solutes traveled during that interval divided by the duration of the length of time of the incubation period for the test tubes. Prediction: If an increase in solute concentration directly influences the rate of diffusion down its concentration gradient to increase, then the greater the number of concentrated solutes will move farther down a concentration gradient than compared to a smaller amount of concentrated solutes during a fixed time period of incubation.

Question: How will altering pH affect the rate (v0) an enzymatic reaction? Hypothesis: Altering the pH of an enzymatic reaction will affect the rate (v0). Argument in support of the hypothesis:

Experimental strategy: During this experiment, we placed various drops of the solute concentrations on exterior regions of agar-filled test tubes and allowed them to incubate for 20 minutes. The agar-filled tubes are spun for the same amount of time, so the rate of diffusion of solutes will be determined from how far the solutes traveled during that interval divided by the duration of the length of time of the incubation period for the test tubes.

Prediction: If an increase in solute concentration directly influences the rate of diffusion down its concentration gradient to increase, then the greater the number of concentrated solutes will move farther down a concentration gradient than compared to a smaller amount of concentrated solutes during a fixed time period of incubation.