Effect Of Catalase On Hydrogen Peroxide

My aim is to see how the effect of catalase has on the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. 2H202(aq) 2H20(l) + 02(g) My prediction is as you increase the concentration of hydrogen peroxide the catalase will break it down faster and therefore the time will be quicker The Independent variable is hydrogen peroxide I will use an appropriate range including the concentrations of 0. 1%, 0. 2%, 0. 5%, 1%, and 2% The dependant variable will be the time taken in seconds to measure how long the catalase takes to breakdown the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.

There were a few controlled variables. The amount of hydrogen peroxide used was kept at a constant 10cm3. This allows for a fair test as the filter paper would have to travel the same distance. I repeated the experiment an extra 3 times, allowed me to calculate a mean time. There is always a need for a repeat as it improves the reliability of the experiment done. It also allows us to remove any anomalies in our results which h gives us a good rough estimate of the average. I carried out a suitable control experiment to prove that it was the enzyme in fact breaking down the hydrogen peroxide.

In this experiment I boiled the enzyme “catalase” to denature it so it wouldn’t be able to function properly. I then tested this enzyme by dipping the filter paper in it and then into the concentration of 2% hydrogen peroxide. As the enzyme was denatured it could not break down the hydrogen peroxide and could not get the filter paper to rise from the base of the test tube. There were many hazards with this experiment. Hydrogen peroxide is an irritant that can cause irritation if left on skin.

Boiling water is another hazard as that can cause scolding of the skin. There is also the risk of smashed glass on which anyone could cut themselves on. Another danger is the Bunsen burner on which someone could quite easily burn themselves. There are procedures in place to prevent these problems, wearing eye protection and washing hands after the use of hydrogen peroxide. Another prevention is keeping glass wear, boiling water and the Bunsen burner away from the edge of the table to prevent anything being knocked and falling off.

ANALYSIS

My data shows that what I predicted to be true, as you increased the concentration of hydrogen peroxide the time taken for the filter paper to reach the top of the test tube is smaller. This data is also shown in my graphs. The reliability of my results are good as they are shown to be accurate looking at other data that has been accumulated. The accuracy of my results seem high as they correspond to other results although improvements could be made by making sure that the level of hydrogen peroxide is accurate and more repeats are taken.

My aim was to see the how catalase would breakdown hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen and to conclude following my data and results it clearly shows that my aim was very well reached as an appropriate target. I could do further work by changing the independent variable changing the pH. The controlled variables would be the level of hydrogen peroxide and level of water used. In this result I would notice that as the pH decreased the enzymes would denature and the breakdown of catalase would slow down.