Discussion:

For this experiment, catalyst and enzyme is used for the decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide. The catalyst used in this experiment is manganese dioxide, which is an inorganic
catalyst. The enzyme used in this experiment is known as catalase which includes potato cube
and liver. Catalase are protein molecules that are discovered in living cells.
Hydrogen peroxidase is an enzyme that can be found in all aerobic cells and is operated
to decompose hydrogen peroxide. Water and oxygen is produced from this reaction. Catalyst
and enzyme function by reducing the activation energy for a reaction, which will then increase
the rate of reaction (Kareska, 2010). Factors like temperature, surface area is shown to have an
effect on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
Based on this experiment, 6 boiling tubes with different enzymatic and catalytic condition
is prepared. For boiling tube 1, a piece of fresh liver was added into tube. Tube 2, the fresh liver
was boiled. Tube 3 consist of pulped liver. As for tube 4, a potato cube was cut and placed into
tube. Both tube 5 and 6 consist of manganese dioxide, however , the manganese dioxide in
tube 6 was boiled. Hydrogen peroxide was added into all the tubes. The product from reaction
of tube 1 to tube 4 produces oxygen and water. For tube 5 and 6, when MnO2 is added to
hydrogen peroxide, a very exothermic and rapid chemical reaction takes place. This reaction
releases water, oxygen and heat. [2H2O2(aq) H2O(l) + O2(g) + heat] ( Decomposition of
H2O2, 2006 ). The presence of this reaction is tested with a glowing wooden splinter after 20
minutes to determine the amount of oxygen gas produced from the decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide.
Although both tube 1 and 2 is tested with fresh liver, the rate of reaction of
decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in tube 2 is lower than in tube 1. Tube 2 was boiled in 95C
before the addition of hydrogen peroxide, this caused the enzyme to be denatured. High
temperatures break the hydrogen bonds and ionic bond holding the enzyme together and so,
the 3D shape of the enzyme is altered. Once the shape of enzyme is altered, the enzyme is no
longer functional. Thus, no substrate may bind to the enzyme and therefore no reaction will
occur. However, due to the oxygen content in the tube, there will be an increase on the glowing
intensity of wooden splinter when placed in tube 2.
The rate of reaction of tube 3 is higher than tube 1. Tube 1 consist of a piece of liver, the
rate of reaction is reduce because they require more energy to breakdown large particle. As for
tube 3, the liver was mashed to decrease the size of the particle. The glowing wooden splinter
ignites and burn with big yellowish-orange flame. White fume was also produced due to high
rate of reaction. When the size of particle is reduced, the surface area of the reactant increases,
more particles will be exposed to the solid catalyst which is hydrogen peroxide and thus more
collision occurs. The constant collision will increase the rate of reaction. More oxygen gas is
produced (Rate of reaction 3 Explosions and catalysts , 2014).
For tube 4, a potato cube was used with the addition of hydrogen peroxide. The reaction
occurred was low compared to tube 1 ( fresh liver ) as the glowing wooden splinter only glows
brighter. This is because fresh liver contains more of the enzyme catalase, which breaks down
hydrogen peroxide. Liver contains more catalase because it works to detoxifiy substances in the
body. The liver maintains a neutral pH (about pH 7), which is easiest for catalase to work in.
Consequently, when exposed to hydrogen peroxide the liver produced more oxygen gas and at
a faster rate. When the amount of catalase is high, the activation energy will be lowered and

thus increasing the rate of reaction. As for tube 4, the potato cube has a low rate of
decomposition of hydrogen peroxide because it contains lesser amount of enzyme catalase.
( Hydrogen Peroxide Breakdown in Liver Vs Potato, 2013 ).
The rate of reaction of boiled manganese in tube 6 is higher than boiled liver in tube 2.
This is because the enzyme in tube 2 has denatured due to the high temperature. However, for
boiled manganese dioxide, inorganic catalyst is not sensitive to temperature, infact it requires
high temperature to function effectively .Thus, the catalyst is not denatured by high temperature
when placed in water bath of 95C. By using the manganese dioxide, the reaction time is
increased and also the rate of reaction is increased with the production of big yellowish-orange
flame when tested with glowing wooden splinter. For tube 5, even though the manganese
dioxide wasnt boiled, but the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is high due to the natural
catalytic characteristics of the manganese dioxide.
One of the few precautions in this experiment is that the tube mouth have to be sealed
tightly with parafilm to prevent the oxygen gas produced from the decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide from escaping. Besides that, gloves and lab coat should be worn at all times because
hydrogen peroxide is extremely poisonous substance.