Question

max Rate constan 20- 10 A 85 X tot Temperature props When was the reaction rate lowest? QUESTIONS 1. What is the optimum temperature? Explain. 2. How does changing the temperature affect the rate of enzyme activity? Does this follow a pattern you anticipated? 3. Why might the enzyme activity decrease at very high temperatures? Testing the Effect of Substrate Concentration 65

Answer 1

1) The peak of the graph will correspond to p the optimum temperature. The reaction rate was the lowest at 53°C. Here the high temperature causes Denaturation of the enzyme leading to a zero reaction rate.

2) Changing the temperature affects the the rate of enzyme activity because the structure of an enzyme changes with temperature. Yes this follows the anticipated pattern. At lower temperatures, the molecules have low kinetic energy thus showing less enzyme activities. The enzyme Activity is the highest At the optimum temperature.

3) At higher temperatures than the optimum temperature the active site denatures, no longer allowing the substrate to bind and form the product.