What explains the result?
Enzyme activity often rises with temperature to a point; excessive heat can change an enzyme's shape.
LIFE SCIENCE · GRADES 6–10
Catalase reaction rate
INVESTIGATION QUESTIONHow does temperature affect the time catalase takes to lift a filter disk?
● ILLUSTRATIVE SCIENCE MODEL
ENGLISH CAPTIONS
Cut matched potato disks. Potato tissue contains catalase, which speeds hydrogen-peroxide breakdown.
0.0 / 3.0 s
Where does this matter?
Enzymes support digestion, food processing, and cellular chemistry.
What should you keep in mind?
These are illustrative model times, not measured class data. Enzyme concentration and temperature matter; never use concentrated peroxide.
CATALASE · TEMPERATURE INVESTIGATION · GRADES 6–10
Enzyme
in action
Compare the time a potato-catalase filter disk needs to rise through dilute hydrogen peroxide at three controlled temperatures.
OXYGEN-DISK REACTION VESSEL22°C
22°C
DILUTE H₂O₂
READYDISK RISE TIMERecord with a stopwatch
Potato catalase Oxygen bubblesTemperature is the only planned change
TRIAL RECORD
What should the real data table include?
BathTrial 1Trial 2Trial 3Average
Cold bath—secondssecondsseconds
Room temperature—secondssecondsseconds
Warm bath—secondssecondsseconds
Interpretation: Catalase speeds the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. A faster-rising disk suggests oxygen accumulated more quickly underneath it. Very high temperatures can disrupt enzyme structure; a few temperatures cannot identify the exact optimum.
Where this matters: Enzymes control reaction rates in cells, food production and biological cleanup. Catalase also helps cells break down hydrogen peroxide that forms during metabolism.