Biology lab report- Suha Khalil
Title: the effect of hydrogen peroxide concentration on catalase activity
Abstract: this experiment investigates the effect of varying hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations on
the activity of the enzyme catalase by measuring the volume of oxygen produced over time. The results
indicate a positive correlation between H2O2 concentration and oxygen production, demonstrating the
enzymes role in breaking down hydrogen peroxide in water and oxygen. Error bars were included to
account for standard deviation, ensuring data reliability.
Introduction: catalase is an enzyme found in many living organisms that decomposes hydrogen peroxide
into water and oxygen. This reaction is crucial for preventing oxidative damage in cells. The purpose of
this experiment is to determine how different concentrations of H2O2 affect the rate of oxygen
production, providing insight into enzyme kinetics.
Research question: how does the concentration of hydrogen peroxide affect the rate of oxygen
production by catalase?
Materials and methods:
Hydrogen peroxide solutions (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%)
Catalase enzyme source
Graduated cylinder
Stopwatch
Test tubes
Data recording sheet
Procedure:
1. Prepare test tubes containing varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.
2. Add a fixed amount of catalase enzyme to each test tube.
3. Immediately start the stopwatch and measure the volume of oxygen produced at 10 second
intervals up to 40 seconds.
4. Record data for each concentration across four trials.
5. Analyze the results, including the standard deviation and error bars.
Results: the recorded data show a direct relationship between H2O2 concentration and oxygen
production. Higher concentration led to increased reaction rates, confirming that substrate
availability influences enzyme activity. The collected data were plotted in graphs, with the x-axis
representing the volume of oxygen produced. Tables 1-4 summarize the raw data, and error
bars were included to illustrate variability.
Discussion: the results align with enzyme kinetics principles, as higher substrate concentrations
increase reaction rates until enzyme saturation occurs. The findings support the hypothesis that
higher hydrogen peroxide concentrations enhance catalase activity. However, possible sources
of error include measurement inaccuracies and slight variations in enzyme concentration. To
improve accuracy, more trials and precise equipment should be used.
Additionally, future experiments could explore factors such as temperature and pH to further
understand the conditions affecting catalase efficiency.
Conclusion: this experiment demonstrated that increasing hydrogen peroxide concentration
enhances catalase activity, as measured by oxygen production. Future studies explore
temperature or pH effects on catalase function.
Graphs: