Fermentation involves enzymes that break down sugar releasing carbon dioxide gas.
The volume of carbon dioxide released can be used to measure how fast these enzymes are working.
A student investigates if fermentation works faster at 25°C or 30°C.
She measures the volume of carbon dioxide released in 10 minutes.
The diagram shows the apparatus she uses.
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The student could have measured the volume of carbon dioxide by collecting the gas over water in a measuring cylinder.
Why is it better to use a gas syringe?
The student’s results are shown in the table.
Temperature (°C) | Volume of carbon dioxide gas ( cm3) released in 10 minutes | ||
Trial 1 | Trial 2 | Trial 3 | |
25 | 23 | 25 | 22 |
30 | 34 | 27 | 33 |
(i) Calculate the mean rate of gas produced at 25°C in cm3/minute.
Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
Mean rate of gas produced at 25°C = .................. cm3/minute [3]
(ii) The rate of gas produced at 30°C is greater than at 25°C. Use ideas about enzymes to explain why.
[3]
Phenols are chemicals that inhibit enzymes during fermentation.
They bind to amino acids on enzyme molecules.
Suggest how phenols inhibit enzymes.
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