Hydrogen Peroxide Catalase example essay topic

329 words
Science coursework When the catalase comes in contact with hydrogen peroxide, it turns the hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) into water (H 2 O) and oxygen gas (O 2). H 2 O 2 -- H 2 O + O 2 Method: First of all I will set my apparatus up as shown in the diagram below. Then I will take a potato and using a borer I will cut a piece to 1 cm^3 I will then place the potato into 15 cm^3 of hydrogen peroxide and measure how much oxygen is given off. I will then record the results into a table and later plot them into a graph.

After each experiment I will add another piece of potato. Variable To make this experiment a fair test I will only vary one thing; the amount of potato. I will keep the boiling tubes at room temperature. The potato cubes will have the approximately the same surface area Apparatus o Measuring cylinder o Test tube o Side arm tube o Potato o Borer o Ice cream tub 3/4 full of water o 15 cm^3 of hydrogen peroxide Prediction I predict that the more potato added the more oxygen will be produced as there are more enzymes reacting with the hydrogen peroxide.

There would be more collisions because there are more enzymes reacting with hydrogen peroxide Catalase does this extremely efficiently -- up to 200,000 reactions per second. The bubbles you see in the foam are pure oxygen bubbles being created by the catalase. Try putting a little hydrogen peroxide on a cut potato and it will do the same thing for the same reason -- catalase in the damaged potato cells reacts with the hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide does not foam in the bottle or on your skin because there is no catalase to help the reaction to occur. Hydrogen peroxide is stable at room temperature.