Problem:
In order to prepare for your bodybuilding competition, you drink a protein shake with whey every afternoon. In it's original form, whey contains a considerable amount of the sugar, lactose. Lactose is a disaccharide that can be broken down into its components, glucose and galactose. If you drink the shake on an empty stomach, the original glucose and galactose content in your stomach is likely very low; let's say 0.02 uM (micromolar) each. When you drink the shake, the lactose concentration increases, let's say to 10uM. Answer the following questions:
Required:
Question 1: What is the free energy of lactose breakdown? Assume that G' is -10 kcal/mol for this reaction. Type your calculations in the box below.
Question 2: Is this reaction spontaneous under these conditions? Explain your answer.
Question 3: If the reaction is NOT spontaneous, how could it be made spontaneous? If the reaction IS spontaneous, how could you make it faster?
Show the pedigree and your calculation.