It is important that we use the apparatus carefully, as safety will be an issue throughout the whole experiment. We will wear goggles and an apron or lab coat to protect our eyes and clothes. As we are using enzymes and Hydrogen Peroxide we need to be extra careful, ensuring they don't come into contact with our eyes, skin or clothes.
Catalyse is an enzyme found in all living cells. It makes Hydrogen
Peroxide decompose into water and Oxygen. We will be measuring the amount of Oxygen released from the Hydrogen Peroxide. In order to do this we will use a measuring cylinder. This piece of apparatus measures the amount of Oxygen given off, measuring in cm3. This will help us measure the amount of Oxygen more accurately.
To make the test fair, the following parameters must remain constant during the experiment. These parameters must remain constant during the experiment. These parameters are water, Hydrogen Peroxide,
Catalyse and the duration of the reactions. By insuring the test is fair, we will gain accurate results.
Variables
Dependant Variable: Time, Size of 5cm piece of Potato
Independent Variable: Amount of Oxygen released
Control Variable: Volume of Hydrogen peroxide, size of Potato, concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide
Hypothesis
I predict that the breakdown of Hydrogen Peroxide will be quicker when the surface area is increased. If you cut the same size piece of potato into smaller pieces, I believe, the breakdown will be faster. I predict that an increase in surface area will result in an increase in kinetic energy. Since the size of the area increases, I think that more oxygen will be released from the Hydrogen Peroxide and Catalyse.
We will be measuring the two main factors: -
* Oxygen - the amount released from the Hydrogen peroxide
* Time - The duration of the reaction
The room temperature may be a factor that will affect our results.