Lab Exercise 7
The Effect of Temperature on the Rate of Carbon Dioxide Production in Saccharomyces
I. Student Objectives 1. The student will use this lab exercise as the basis for writing a scientific method report. 2. The student will understand how the rates of chemical reactions are affected by temperature. 3. The student will understand the overall fermentation reaction by yeast, starting with glucose as an energy source. 4. The student will understand how to measure fermentation rate.
II. Introduction
The student is to use this lab exercise as the foundation for writing a scientific method report. The instructions for writing the report are found in the addendum section of the lab manual. The purpose of the experiment is to test the effect of five different temperatures on the rate of carbon dioxide production in yeast. The experiment is an example of alcoholic fermentation that is characteristic of yeast. The original energy source of glucose is in the form of molasses in the lab. The carbon dioxide that is measured is in the form of gas bubbles, seen in fermentation tubes. The overall chemical equation is the Gay-Lussac Equation, which states that:
Glucose + water produces ethanol + carbon dioxide + ATP. This fermentation reaction is anaerobic, taking place without the presence of oxygen. It is an ancient method of alcoholic fermentation, using yeast, and produces a small amount of energy in the form of ATP. A hypothesis is typically referred to as “an educated guess”. The student is expected to generate a hypothesis for this lab experiment, test it, and then report if the hypothesis has been accepted or rejected, and why. Yeast is an example of a sac fungus, and is eukaryotic and unicellular. The rates of chemical reactions will increase with increasing temperatures, up to a certain point. When living organisms are used in chemical reactions, such as