Simulations › Quick catalase lab
Quick Catalase Lab (Virtual)
A 15-minute version of the liver and hydrogen peroxide lab. Set the conditions, run a virtual trial, and record how high the foam rises in 60 seconds.
- 15–20 minutes
- Works on a phone or Chromebook
- Biology BIO.1B.2
- Foundations FB.2.6
Catalase is an enzyme in liver cells. It speeds up the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, and the oxygen makes foam. More foam in 60 seconds means a more active enzyme. This is a simulation with built-in variation, so repeat each condition three times and use the mean. The numbers are modeled, not measured from a real experiment. Use the hands-on catalase lab when you have time for the real thing.
Your job
Pick one variable to test. Change only that variable and keep the other two the same for every trial.
- Test temperature: run three trials each at 0, 20, 37, 50, and 70 °C (pH 7, 2 pieces of liver).
- Test pH: run three trials each at pH 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 (37 °C, 2 pieces of liver).
- Test enzyme amount: run three trials each with 1, 2, 3, and 4 pieces of liver (37 °C, pH 7).
Run a trial
Foam height: —
Scale on the beaker is in millimeters.
Trial log
| Trial | Temp (°C) | pH | Liver pieces | Foam height (mm) |
|---|
Means by condition
| Condition | Trials | Mean foam (mm) |
|---|
Analysis
- Which variable did you test, and what were the two variables you kept constant?
- Which condition gave the most foam? Use the mean as evidence.
- At 70 °C the foam was close to zero. Explain why, using the words denature and active site.
- At 0 °C the enzyme was not denatured, but the foam was still low. Why?
- Why did you run three trials of each condition?
- Write a claim-evidence-reasoning answer about the best condition for catalase.
Teacher notes
- The simulation models catalase with an optimum near 37 °C and pH 7. Cold slows the reaction without denaturing the enzyme, heat above about 50 °C denatures it, and extreme pH lowers the rate. Each trial has about 6% random variation, so students need replicates.
- Use it when time is short, when the real lab cannot run, or as a practice run before the hands-on lab. It matches the data tables and analysis questions in the hands-on lab.
- Pair it with Enzyme Diversity for enzyme, substrate, and product relationships.
- Alignment: Biology BIO.1B.2 and Foundations FB.2.6.