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Introduction

Science Investigation. The action of the catalyst on hydrogen peroxide Aim: In this investigation I am planning to find out if the volume of gas (O2) is directionally proportional to the varying lengths of potato when the potato is fully submerged in hydrogen peroxide. Planning Chemical equation 2H2O2 =2H201+O2 Plan: I am planning to find out how adding H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) to a piece of potato, reacts with the catalyst, to form oxygen. I could use a gas syringe method or a water trough method. Water trough method. 1. Potato 2. Hydrogen peroxide 3. Test tube 4. Delivery tube 5. Water 6. Measuring cylinder 7. Water bath. In this diagram the potato is in the test tube and so is the hydrogen peroxide. The delivery tube is attached to the test tube and leads to the water bath. The delivery tube then goes under water and faces verticle directly underneath the measuring cylinder. The oxygen then paces through the water into the measuring cylinder. Which in turn makes an air lock . You then measure the oxygen in the air lock in the units cm3. This is the amount of oxygen which has been produced from the reaction. Gas syringe method. The gas syringe diagram is in the diagram of apparatus used section. The two different methods both end up with the same results, but we chose the 'gas syringe method because we thought it would show a greater accuracy. ...read more.

Middle

The bigger the catalyst = the bigger the rate of reaction or, the stronger the solution= the greater rate of reaction. This theory would alter slightly with different variables. I will show a diagram of the collision theory with the (concentration of H202) variable. Variable 1 Concentration of the H2O2 (Hydrogen peroxide). The two top diagrams a magnified version of the experiment but using a different variable (concentration of the H2O2). The second diagram is a greater magnified version of the top two diagrams. What you can see is the reaction happening between the catalyst and the hydrogen peroxide. This is the collision theory. The substrate (H202) is reacting with the active site (Catalyst). Obtaining evidence. Safety * All the safety procedures I will use for the obtaining evidence are in the planning section. Observations. The equipment was set up as in the diagram in the planning section. We completed the first rotation of experiments and found a problem with are equipment. We found that the syringe was sticking, which means that the oxygen would struggle to push the weight of the glass plunger. Which in turn means that are results would not be accurate as there was an opposing force. My partner and I decided tat we shall have to repeat the whole rotation, which we did. These are the results we found after repeatin the experiment. Results Table 1 Volume of Gas (Oxygen) Collected in a Syringe from various sized Potato's reacting with Hydrogen Peroxide (Units cm3) ...read more.

Conclusion

So we repeated the whole rotation again. After repeating the rotation, we looked at the set of results, fortunately they were accurate, the amount oxygen collected was very similar each time we repeated each length, the experiment ( each minute there was either little or no difference between set of results one or results two). I should of left the experiment longer to make sure that my results were even all the time, not just in the early stages of the experiment. If I would of left the experiment longer my results would have been more accurate. I could of made my experiment more accurate by making my measurments better. I cut the potato next to ruler and marked the length with my finger. My finger could of moved slightly and I could of cut the potato in the wrong place. I could of also improved the accuracy by repeating the readings twice to make sure that I did not read them wrong the first place. Further Work To investigate further into the investigation, I would choose exactly the same variable. But I would change my equipment. This would prove weather my results were completely accurate. If they weren't I would completely re- do my investigation with the new equipment and then compare the two sets of results. If the results were similar, I would know that my results were correct, and I used the most effective way of collecting oxygen from the catalyst reacting with hydrogen peroxide. ...read more.

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