Assignment
Design an experiment in which you will test the effect of an acidic fluid on enzymatic activity. (Recall: enzymes are proteins.) To complete this project, it may be useful for you to review the Scientific Method Tutorial , so that you can better understand how to design an experiment. It may also be helpful for you to review your textbook and Lab 4 (Enzymes). As you review Lab 4, you will be reminded that there are several factors that impact enzymatic activity: pH, temperature, and amount of reagent. Feel free to refer to observations and information from Lab 4 as you complete the Final Applied Project (see the questions below). Or in other words, it is OK to use the same enzyme/substrate/method as you did in lab 4 (but modify the treatment), or you can search on-line to find a different enzyme/substrate/method for measuring enzyme activity.
As you design your experiment for this project, please remember that you are trying to examine how an acidic fluid will modify the outcome of an enzymatic reaction. To successfully complete this project, you will need to identify the question(s) being asked in your experiment and the hypothesis that you are testing. In your experimental design, you must clearly explain what you are doing. That means that you will need to identify the enzyme and the acid, as well as explain your experimental protocol (this information will help you to answer question 2). You must also thoroughly explain how the addition of the acidic fluid impacted the overall reaction process (this information will help you to answer question 4).
Hint: Keep in mind that the acid will change the environmental conditions of the experiment (for example, a low pH value could change the shape of the active site on the enzyme protein), without directly participating in the reaction.