See if the concentration of the substrate (milk) will effect the rate at which the enzyme Lipase can digested fat into fatty acids and glycerol.

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Science Investigation

My Task

My task is to see if the concentration of the substrate (milk) will effect the rate at which the enzyme Lipase can digested fat into fatty acids and glycerol.

These are the different variables for this experiment and what effect they have on the experiment.

Concentration of the enzyme - The higher the concentration the more enzymes there are to react with the substrate.  The concentration will effect how fast the reaction will happen.  If the concentration of the enzyme is high, the reaction of the enzyme will be fast.

Concentration of the substrate (milk) – The substrate is what the enzyme reacts with.  It will effect how long it takes the enzyme to digest.  The higher the concentration of the substrate, the faster the reaction will be.

Temperature – The temperature effects the enzyme, not the substrate.  The temperature makes the enzyme move.  The higher the temperature, the faster the enzymes will move, causing a faster reaction.

pH of the solution – The pH of the solution will effect the enzyme.  It will not effect how fast the reaction will take place.  Enzymes work best in neutral conditions.  So, if the solution is too acidic of too alkaline the enzymes will not work.

The variable I am going to investigate is the concentration of the substrate.

 

My Prediction

My prediction is that the less diluted the milk is the faster the reaction will happen.  I think this because the more fat particles there are, the more chance there is of an enzyme bumping into it and start to turn it into fatty acids and glycerol.

Example

Low Concentration                                High Concentration

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Enzyme (Lipase) -                Fat particle -

The diagram above shows the likelihood of the enzymes bumping into a fat particle.

I first thought that the lower the concentration the faster the reaction would happen.  I thought this because the less fat particles there are, the less work the enzymes have to do.  However, this is not the case because the more fat particles there are, the more chance there is of an enzyme bumping into it.

Plan

Input Variable

My input variable is the Sodium Carbonate Solution (the buffet), ...

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