An Investigation into the affect of the concentration of the enzyme Neutrase on a solution of Marvel (dried milk powder).

                                      Neutrase

        Protein                                                     Amino acids

        (Cloudy)                                                     (Clear)                                                

All this information was gathered from class work notes and preps.

Experiment Brief

Input variables

Outcome variables

Time taken for the marvel to become clear

Preliminary Experiment

How I will make my investigation a fair test

Safety

Diagram of Apparatus

Apparatus list                 

Prediction

The higher the concentration of neutrase, the less time it will take for the marvel to become clear (the quicker the rate of reaction). So, as the concentration goes up, the time comes down. If you double the concentration of the neutrase the time will halve and the rate of reaction shall double.

Explanation

The scientific reason for this happening is because neutrase is an enzyme, which breaks down marvel, which is the milk powder. It breaks down chains of protein into amino acids.  The higher the concentration of neutrase the faster the chains will be broken down because there are more enzymes which have less marvel to break down and will make it break down faster.

The scientific reason for this is that if there are more particles, there is a higher chance of the particles colliding, therefore a higher reaction rate. So halve the particles double the time.

Method of Experiment

• Set up equipment as shown above (the prediction).
• Draw a cross on the bottom of the beaker, as shown in the “above view”
• Measure out 10 cm3 of marvel into a measuring cylinder and then pour it into the small transparent beaker.
• Use a pipette to place 2cm3 of marvel into the beaker.
• As soon as all the neutrase goes into the beaker, shake the mixture (with your thumb covering the end) and then start the stop clock.
• When the marvel had is clear enough to roughly see the cross on the bottom of the beaker. Stop the stop clock.
• Then repeat the experiment with neutrase concentrations of 1.00, 2.50, 5.00 and 10.00. Do each concentration three times to get accurate results.
• When finished wash up all the apparatus.

If you get several odd results then do that/those particular experiments again, and be more careful.

Measurements to be made

The percentages of neutrase which I used was 1%, 2%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 8% and 10% .We measured the time taken until the marvel went clear with different concentrations of neutrase.

Results of Investigation

Graph

Look at graph paper

Analysis of results

The concentration of neutrase is in reverse to the time taken for marvel to clear. When the concentration of neutrase increases the time taken for marvel to clear decreases and when the concentration of neutrase doubled the time taken for marvel to clear halves.

I have collected my results because the more concentrated the enzyme (neutrase) was, the more protein there is in the enzyme which therefore shall break up the amino acids in the marvel quicker.  

Evaluation of the Investigation

My results seem to be fairly accurate. There are no results that do not fit the pattern we see. There are no anomalies.

It was possible to have used a bigger variation of the concentration of neutrase. I should have measured (for each percentage) the pH to make sure it was the same throughout the whole experiment. The enzyme was stored at roughly room temperature every time it was used, but to make it more accurate the temperature should have been measured every time it was used, but as we did all the results in one lesson the temperature would have only gone up or down within 2 degrees of the starting temperature. The temperature should stay the same because of the fact that enzymes denature at about 45°C. For accuracy better equipment should have been used. To make my own experiment more reliable I could compare my results with my fellow classmates.

I could have found out the effects of protease (which is another enzyme) on Marvel and compare the two enzymes and see what similarities and differences we get in the results. The enzymes work better in a temperature of about 30 °C so we could do the experiment at different temperature and see what results we get.