Chapter 9, Problem 9.9P

Beef catalase has been used to accelerate the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to yield water and oxygen [Chem. Eng. Educ., 5, 141 (1971)]. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide is given as a function of time for a reaction mixture with a pH of 6.76 maintained at 30°C.

1. (a) Determine the Michaelis–Menten parameters V_max and K_M. (Ans.: K_M = 0.031 mol/dm³)
2. (b) If the total enzyme concentration is tripled, what will the substrate concentration be after 20 minutes?
3. (c) Apply one or more of the six ideas in Preface Table P-4, page xxviii, to this problem.
4. (d) List ways you can work this problem incorrectly.