Question

in a biology class, the students conducted an experiment using hydrogen peroxide to determine how quickly it reacted with the catalase found in potatoes. they dropped hydrogen peroxide onto a slice of a potato at different temperatures and counted how long it took for bubbles to appear on the potato. the students data are shown in the table.
what is the optimum temperature for catalase activity?
20°c
25°c
15°c
30°c

Explanation:

Step1: Understand the experiment

The experiment measures the time (in seconds) for bubbles to appear on a potato slice at different temperatures, using hydrogen peroxide and the catalase enzyme in potatoes. The faster the reaction (shorter time), the more active the enzyme.

Step2: Analyze the data table

The table has two columns: Temperature (°C) and Time (seconds). The time values for each temperature are:

• 15°C: 24 seconds
• 20°C: 20 seconds
• 25°C: 24 seconds
• 30°C: 12 seconds
• 35°C: 35 seconds

Step3: Determine the optimum temperature

The optimum temperature for an enzyme is where it works fastest (shortest reaction time). From the data:

• At 30°C, the time is 12 seconds, which is the shortest among all temperatures. This means the catalase reaction is fastest at 30°C.

Answer:

30°C