Title: The Affect of a Frozen Enzyme has on the Reaction Rate of an

Exothermic Reaction

Introduction: In this lab Enzymes and Subtrates were tested in an

Exothermic Reaction, which gives off heat. This lab was to test the reaction

rates with different independent variables. Enzymes are biological catalysts,

which speeds up reactions. For this project the enzyme catalase, which can

be found in most cells including chicken liver cells, was used. The subtrate

that was used was hydrogen peroxide. Prior to the experiment a control

group was tested for a control temperature and reaction rate was found. This

will help to compare results in the end. This experiment was conducted to

test what variables would affect the reaction time. For one experiment in

particular it was to see if low temperature conditions for the enzyme would

affect the reaction time. Due to previous reading about temperature affects

on this reaction, the hypothesis that was formed was; yes the reaction rate

will Change but it will become slower and less of a reaction, due to less

collisions between the enzymes and the substrates.

Materials and procedures:

Materials:

o 1 test tube holder

o 2 test tubes
o 1 thermometer
o 1 glass stir rod
o 1 chicken liver
o Graduated cylinder
o Hydrogen peroxide
o Freezer
o Gloves
 o Tongs
o Dropper
o Electric scale

Procedures:

Step 1: Gather test tube holder, 2 test tube, thermometer, and glass stir rod

at the station

Step 2: Measure out 4.5 grams of liver. Do this by placing a glass beaker on

an electric scale and set the scale to 0. Then place the liver into the beaker

to measure it.

Step 3: Place the already measured liver into the bottom of one of the test

tubes.

Step 4: Measure of 5mL of hydrogen peroxide into a graduated cylinder.

Step 5: Before beginning make sure thermometer is set to Celsius.

Step 6: Pour the hydrogen peroxide in the test tube containing the liver.

Quickly mix it with the glass stir rod.

Step 7: Once stirred, immediately place the thermometer into the test tube.

Step 8: Watch and record the highest temperature that it gets to.

Step 9: Clean up

Data/ Results:

Group Data Table:

Measurement Control Group Experimental Group/
Frozen liver
Highest Temperature 34.5 22.1
Reaction Rate 5 3
Class Data Table:
Independent Highest Reaction Rate
Variable Temperature
Boiled Liver 100 36 0
(C )
Frozen Liver 0 (C ) 22.1 3
More acidic ( pH 29.3 2
2)
More basic ( pH 25.7 3.5
12)
Increased 34 5
substrate
Decreased 24.4 2.5
substrate
Increased enzyme 24.5 4
Decreased 30.5 2
enzyme
Copper sulfate 27.2 1
( competitive
inhibitor)

Temperature Graph:
 Temperature in Celsius for each Indepenedent Variable
40

35

30

25

20

15

10

Reaction Rate Graph:

 Reaction Rate for each Indepenedent Variable
6

Conclusion:

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether certain

independent variables would affect the reaction rate in the reaction of the
enzymes and substrates. For one specific experiment the purpose was to test
if freezing the enzyme, in this case chicken liver, would change the reaction
rate. This experiment was conducted in order to test what was found in the
article, Enzymes are Most Effective at Optimal Conditions. In this article it
states, in low temperature conditions, the reaction becomes slow as there
is less contact between the substrate and the enzyme. This statement helps
to backup the hypothesis in the introduction, where it said that the reaction
rate would be less than the control group. In the end this was true, the
reaction rate for the frozen liver was a 3 whereas the control group had a
reaction rate of 5. The previous statement from the article and the results
from this experiment prove that the substrates and and enzymes slow down
and have less contact with each other when they are cooled. Also according
to the article, things like temperature, pH value of its surroundings, and the
concentration or the amount of substrates all affect the reaction in some
way. The results that were found varied with each independent variable that
was used. The experiment for the boiled liver did raise the temperature of
the reaction but it only made the reaction rate go down to a zero. In the
article it talks about high temperatures too, influence of very high
temperatures, the weak H-bonds of the enzyme tend to break For the
boiled liver experiment the enzymes started to break down therefore
resulting in a 0 for the reaction rate. A special experiment was conducted to
test what a competitive inhibitor would do to the reaction. A competitive
inhibitor is an inhibitor that bonds into the active site of the enzyme so that
the substrate can not bond. The competitive inhibitor that was used was
copper sulfate. The result was a reaction rate of 1, because the inhibitor
caused less of a reaction. For this experiment the data was very important,
so rechecks of the data would be helpful. For improvement of this
experiment maybe more competitive inhibitors or regular inhibitors could be
tested to see how they react.
Questions:
1. Would changing the temperature of the subtrate ( hydrogen peroxide)
affect the reaction?
2. Would changing the enzyme we used ( catalase) Change the reaction?