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The effect of Copper Sulphate concentration on Catalase activity

on Hydrogen Peroxide.
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Level: AS and A Level

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The effect of Copper Sulphate concentration on Catalase activity on Hydrogen Peroxide Aim: The aim of my investigation is to
explore the effects of chemical inhibitors upon the rate of reaction. The reaction I am going to focus on is the breakdown of
Hydrogen Peroxide by the enzyme Catalase. Such reaction is represented by the following equation: 2H202 (aq) ?2H20 (l) + 02 (g)
Hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, is a colourless, syrupy liquid that is a strong oxidising agent and, in water solution, a Iak acid. It is
miscible with cold water and is soluble in alcohol and ether. Although pure hydrogen peroxide is fairly stable, it decomposes into
water and oxygen when heated above about 80C; it also decomposes in the presence of numerous catalysts, e.g., most metals,
acids, or oxidisable organic materials. A small amount of stabiliser, usually acetanilide, is often added to it. Upon the bases of this
information, collected from the source (www.encyclopedia.com) and a pilot experiment, which I carried out, I decided that the
latter could function as a suitable substrate for the reaction I am going to be studying. Catalase is an enzyme: enzymes are biological
catalysts that speed up the rate of a reaction by loIring the activation energy needed to initially break the bonds that hold the
reactant molecules together. Catalases are some of the most efficient enzymes found in cells. Each catalase molecule can
decompose millions of hydrogen peroxide molecules every second (200,000 catalytic events/second). Catalase is encountered in
most living tissues, and it is present in nearly all the peroxisomes of nearly all aerobic cells, serving to protect the cell from the toxic
effects of hydrogen peroxide by catalysing its decomposition into molecular oxygen and water. I shall describe in more detail the
nature of this process: our cells are constantly supplied with oxygen. The latter is a vital molecule for our body but it has also got
some dangers; one of them is that it is easily converted into reactive compounds. ...read more.

Middle
will be 35 ?C Goggles They are worn throughout the course of the experiment. To prevent harmful substances such as hydrogen
peroxide and copper sulphate entering in contact with my eyes. Lab coat To be worn throughout the course of the experiment To
protect my clothing from spillages and stains Copper sulphate solution 1 mole It is used as one of the reactants in our experiment.
Various concentrations of it will be reacted with the other solutions. This solution contains metal ions that work as inhibitors on the
catalysis reaction. Our aim is to investigate in detail the exact effect of these ions on the course of the reaction. Pipette To measure
small amounts of solutions. For small amounts of solutions it is more practical and easy to use a pipette instead of a syringe. Distilled
water To be introduced into the copper sulphate solutions to create different concentrations. I aim to investigate how different
concentrations of copper sulphate solution affect the rate of the catalysis. I used distilled water because??? Thermometer To
measure the temperature of the surroundings (beaker containing water at 35? C) To make sure that the temperature of the
surroundings is not altered during the course of the Measuring Cylinder 60 ml It is filled with water and put placed upside down in
the large bowl, over the delivery tube, so that the oxygen produced by the reaction is collected inside it. The tube is completely
filled with water up to the top, so that as more gas is collected the level of water will go down, and the volume occupied by the
oxygen is easily calculated by looking at the scale on the cylinder. Method: I shall now, describe the procedure, which I folloId to
carry out the experiment: * From a fresh potato I extracted, with the use of the potato borer, several tubes of constant diameter and
length (0.5 cm diameter, 5 cm length), I decided after a pilot experiment, that these measurements would give a give ...read more.

Conclusion
* In order to obtain a pattern of results, that would have been easier to interpret and to draw conclusions from, I could have used a
wider range of inhibitor concentrations, standing at smaller intervals. E.g. 100%, 90%, , , possibly intervals of 10. In this way I could
have observed the course of the reaction from a closer view in a way, and perhaps quantify the relationship of inverse
proportionality betIen the variables. I could have also done more repeats, in order to obtain a more reliable average. * Now that I
have explained how the equipment I used was inaccurate I will make a list of the equipment that I might have used, if available: o
Open-ended graduated gas syringe o Electronically controlled water bath o Yeast instead of potato o Powdered potato if potato
was the only one available Validity of conclusion: I conclude that the results obtained from my experiment are reliable enough for
me to consider it successful. I have done a number of repeats, and no major dispersion has been identified. HoIver I have a major
source of error: the fact that I couldn't access that water bath directly affected, in my opinion, largely my results, and it is a possible
justification for my anomalous results. Not having a constant temperature for the reaction, meant that the rate of reaction varied with
the days, as the temperature of the surrounding environment varied with the days. If I Ire to rank my sources of error in an
descending scale, the ranking would be the following: * Inaccessibility to the water bath directly * Use of the measuring cylinder
instead of gas syringe * Shaking the test tubes to mix the reactants. Overall though my results Ire reliable enough to show a pattern
and to support the hypotheses that I had made, as Ill as that I have the Standard Deviation test to prove that the dispersion in my
results is not major. ...read more.
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Investigating the effect of enzyme

concentration on the activity of
cellulase.

How does the concentration of

enzymes affect the breakdown of
starch by a-amylase in ...

This was a major limitation as enzyme activity is

very dependent on temperature, so a small
variation could affect the results significantly. A
modification that could be made would be to
insulate the syringe barrel with a clear insulating
material such as bubble wrap.

This made it very difficult to transfer an exact

measurement of 0.40cm. A much more accurate
method of measuring out the 0.40cm would be
to fill the graduated pipette with the pipette filler,
past the 0.0cm mark. Quickly take the pipette
filler off and place you right index finger on

effect of concentration of copper

sulphate on the action of amylase
to break down ...

Enzymes - investigate how the

substrate concentration (H2O2)
affects the activity of catalase on ...

The orientation of collision When two particles

collide together, they need to have the right
orientation when they come into contact for them
to react. The diagram below illustrates this. [21]
There are four different orientations of collisions
with enough energy for a successful collision to
happen.

To avoid this error when carrying out this

experiment again I will put plasticine around the
syringe and delivery tube. By doing this I can
ensure that the top of the bung is air tight, and no
gas is escaping.

Effect of enzyme concentration on

rate of reaction

Reaction of Catalase and Hydrogen

Peroxide

When transferring the blended potato into the test

tubes, it is noticed some of the blended potato is
smeared on the inner surface of the test tube and
is unable to be moved down. As a result, the
amount of blended potato that reacts with the
hydrogen peroxide is lesser than the amount of
blended potato scooped initially.

Trypsin. Hypothesis: - I
hypothesize that as the
temperature increases the rate of
enzyme
...potential energy of the molecules
If the chemical
becomes great enough, the activation energy of
an exergonic reaction can be achieved and a
change in chemical state will result. Thus the
greater the kinetic energy of the molecules in a
system, the greater is the resulting chemical
potential energy when two molecules collide.

The sequence is summarized in the figure below.

Effect Of Temperature On Enzyme Action The
temperature of a system is to some extent a
measure of the kinetic energy of the molecules in
the system. Thus the lower the temperature, the
lower the kinetic energy of the system and
likewise

Does ethanol causes greater

inhibition of pig liver catalase than
of yeast catalase
Non-active site-directed inhibitors permanently
change the enzyme so that it can no longer work.
Ethanol is a non-active site-directed inhibitor of
catalase. For my experiment I will be immobilising
my two forms of catalase. To measure the rate of
reaction I will be taking advantage of the reaction
giving off oxygen.
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