Biology IA

Yeast Fermentation
Travis Rogers

Background Information
Yeast are small unicellular fungi that are in the kingdom Fungi. Yeast are
organisms that cannot make their own food. Fungi need food for energy so
they rely on things like sugar for energy so they can grow and survive. Yeast
either grow in or on their source of food. They make and release enzymes
that break down sugar molecules into smaller molecules that can be
absorbed by the yeast. There are many different types of yeast and each of
them has a certain food source that they feed off of. Certain yeast has fruits,
plant nectar, and molasses as their food source. Other types of yeast have
wood and corn stalks as their food source. This type of yeast makes ethanol
as a result of eating the wood and corn stalks. Ethanol is used in cars in the
form of gasoline. Another type of yeast is broken down from grain to alcohol.
Others break fruits into wine. The breaking down of yeast into energy is
called fermentation.

Aim of investigation
This investigation will observe external factors in the environment that lead to the
fermentation of yeast.

Hypothesis
The hotter the environment, the easier it is for yeast to ferment.
Independent Variable
The yeast
Dependent variable
The temperature at which the yeast grows
Control
The glass with yeast and water
Constant Variables
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The yeast and the water

The glass where the yeast and water are
Yeast
Room temperature
Amount of yeast

Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Gather 5 glasses and fill them with 100 ml of water

Add 5g of yeast into each glass.
Heat one glass to 100 C.
Add sugar to one container
Add sugar and flour to another
Measure the mass of a balloon.
Put a balloon over each one.
Heat all the glasses to 100 C.

Raw Data

Glass 1( Yeast)

Temperature (at the end

of reaction) in Celsius
81.2

Mass Gained
2.11

Glass 2(Sugar)

89.7

3.41

Glass 3(Sugar and Flour)

83.7

7.40

Glass 4(Flour)

91.2

2.49

Glass 5(Water)

102

2.60

Mass Gained

Glass 1( Yeast)

Temperature (at the end

of reaction)
80.3

Glass 2(Sugar)

86.4

3.05

Glass 3(Sugar and Flour)

83.7

8.70

Glass 4(Flour)

90.1

2.87

Glass 5(Water)

105

3.10

Mass Gained

Glass 1( Yeast)

Temperature (at the end

of reaction)
78.5

Glass 2(Sugar)

85.1

2.93

Glass 3(Sugar and Flour)

84.8

8.40

Glass 4(Flour)

94.2

2.69

Glass 5(Water)

103

2.54

Trial 2

3.27

2.9Trial 3

3.12

Temperature(In Celsius)
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

Glass 1

Glass 2
Temperature

Glass 3

Glass 4

Temperature Trial 2

Glass 5

Temperature Trial 3

Gain in Mass(In Grams)

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Glass 1

Glass 2

Glass 3
Trial 1

Processed Data

Trial 2

Glass 4
Trial 3

Glass 5

The average gain in mass from just the yeast, without any glucose,
was 2.83 grams.
The average gain in mass from the glass with just the glucose, without
any yeast, was 3.13 grams.
The average gain in mass from the glass with the glucose and yeast
was 8.16 grams.
The average gain in mass from the glass with just flour, without any
yeast or glucose, was 2.68 grams
The average gain in mass from the glass with just water was 2.75
grams.

Conclusion
The hypothesis was not supported by the data. The hypothesis stated that
temperature was a major controlling factor in yeast fermentation. The data
suggests that it is the catalyst for the reaction that has the greatest Impact
on the reaction. Yeast fermentation requires glucose. The data suggests that
the glucose is what provides a better result for yeast fermentation.