To study the actions of the enzyme catalase on hydrogen peroxide, students performed the following experiment. Catalase was extracted from potatoes by blending raw potatoes in a blender with cold distilled water. The filtrate was stored on ice. The following hydrogen peroxide solutions were made: 1 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent, and 15 percent. Filter paper disks were soaked in the catalase filtrate and dropped into beakers containing the various solutions. The activity of the enzyme was measured by the amount of time it took for the disks to float to the surface of the solution on the bubbles produced by the reaction. The following data were obtained.
Hydrogen Peroxide Average Time, in Seconds,
Solution for Disks to Float
1% 30 sec
5% 25 sec
10% 20 sec
15% 10 sec