1.

Deconstruction: Brainstorming (Lotus Diagram Option)

Could test a range Could choose and There are

Should be easy to Do washing
of pH levels: control one type of The stain would probably different
conduct in school powders list the
acidic, alkaline, enzyme common be the substrate enzymes for
lab enzymes?
neutral in washing powder different stains

No major safety or Dep Variable No major safety or How does the

How does pH Could test a
ethical risks could be reduction ethical risks stain type affect
affect laundry carbohydrate, fat
(possible skin of stain diameter- (possible skin laundry
detergent? or protein stain
irritation) quantitative irritation) detergent?

Dep variable could More research into Would be hard to Dep Variable More research into
Would need to
use a colour types of enzymes control the size of could be reduction which enzymes
choose one type
match chart – and pH ranges the stain before of stain diameter- break down which
of stain e.g. grass
qualitative needed experiment quantitative stain types

How does the

How does pH
stain type affect
affect laundry
laundry
detergent?
detergent?
“What factors
affect the ability
of enzymes in
laundry
detergent?”
 1.Deconstruction: Brainstorming (Concept Map Option)

“What factors affect the

ability of enzymes in
laundry detergent?”

How does the stain affect washing powder?

-The stain type would be the substrate, there are
probably different enzymes for different stains
-Do washing powders list the enzymes?
-Could test a carbohydrate, fat or protein stain
-More research into which enzymes break down
which stain types
How does pH affect washing powder?
-Could test a range of pH levels (1-14)
-Could choose and control one type of enzyme
common in washing powder
-No major safety or ethical risks
-Dep Variable could be reduction of stain diameter-
quantitative
-More research into types of enzymes and pH
ranges needed
 2. Deconstruction: Refining and Prioritising

Investigation Option 1: Investigation Option 2:

How does pH affect laundry detergent? How does the stain type affect laundry
detergent?

Questions to  What brands of laundry detergent publish the enzymes they use?
research:  Once an enzyme has been chosen:
 What substrate (stain) does this enzyme breakdown?
 What are the optimum conditions for the enzyme e.g. temperature?
 What is the best way to change pH of a solution?
Findings from  OMO Ultimate includes different enzymes. According to the
research: website: “Amylase enzymes remove starch-based stains such as
gravy, potato, pasta, rice and chocolate. In most instances these
stains cannot be easily seen; however, if starch stains are not
removed they can act as glue for other soils causing localised
discolouration or staining to the fabric.”
 The optimum temperature for amylase is 32 °C to 37 °C

 The best way to change the pH of a solution is to use pH buffers.

This can be used for the independent variable.

Opportunities: Based on the research, pH would be a suitable variable to design the

investigation on. Most of the materials are easy to source.

Limitations: It will be difficult to control the size of the starch-based stain. It might also
be subjective to measure the effectiveness of the stain removal.
 3. Investigation Design
Aim: To investigate the effect of pH of the effectiveness of washing detergent

Hypothesis: If the pH is neutral, then amylase enzymes in washing detergent will be more effective at stain removal.

Variables:
 Independent variable: pH washing detergent solution
 Dependent variable: Difference in the diameter of the stain (mm)
 Variables that cannot be controlled: ……
 Controlled variables:

Controlled variable Why it needs to be controlled How it will be controlled

Type of stain The type of stain needs to be controlled because The type of stain that will be used in this experiment in a gravy stain.
different enzymes break down different substrates.

Initial size of stain If the stain was smaller to begin with, it would be All gravy stains before experimentation will be 20mm in diameter. This
easier for the strain to be removed during the will be applied using a circular stencil
washing process.
etc.

Materials:
 50g gravy powder
 pH buffers (3, 5, 7, 9, 11)
 100g laundry detergent (OMO Ultimate)
 etc…
Method:
Method Justification
1 Using a compass, measure a circle with a One of the controlled variables is the initial size of the stain. This will be controlled using a stencil of
diameter of 20mm onto a piece of plastic. a circle with a diameter of 20mm. Plastic was used as the material, so that it can be reused for each
Remove the inner area of the circle, to create a trial to ensure consistency in the size of the gravy stain.
stencil for a circle.
2 etc

Safety and Ethical Risks:

Safety and/or Harm it can cause How it will be managed

ethical risks
Skin irritation from Chemical burns can result from the skin
pH buffers coming in contact with acidic and
alkaline solutions. This is particularly
relevant for buffers pH 3 and 11.
A safety briefing is to occur, explaining chemical burn and the harm it can cause to the skin.
People conducting the experiment will be required to wear an apron, gloves and safety
glasses and use a dripper bottle to prevent major spillage. A low concentration will be used
for each pH solution. If a chemical burn does occur, the skin is to be rinsed with cool running
water for several minutes and reported to the supervising teacher.

etc

Results Table:
Construct a results table that could be used to record the data from this investigation
pH of washing Difference in the diameter of the stain (mm)
detergent solution
Trial 1 Trial 2 Average
3
5
7
9
11