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    Effects of substrate concentration and temperature on rate of enzyme activity

    I can explain how the rate of an enzyme reaction is affected by substrate concentration and temperature.

    New
    New

      Effects of substrate concentration and temperature on rate of enzyme activity

      I can explain how the rate of an enzyme reaction is affected by substrate concentration and temperature.

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      Lesson details

      Key learning points

      1. The rate of a reaction is the amount of change (e.g. substrate broken down or product made) per unit of time.
      2. Enzyme reaction rate increases as substrate concentration increases, until an optimum when all active sites are full.
      3. Enzyme reaction rate increases with temperature due to more collisions, until an optimum when all active sites are full.
      4. Enzyme reaction rate decreases as temperature increases above the optimum, as the active site becomes denatured.
      5. Interpretation of graphs showing effects of substrate concentration and temperature on enzyme reaction rate.

      Keywords

      • Rate of reaction - A measure of the amount of change that occurs per unit of time.

      • Concentration - A measure of the quantity of a dissolved substance in a given volume of solution.

      • Optimum - The conditions under which the maximum rate of reaction occurs.

      • Denatured - A permanent change in the shape of an enzyme that stops it from working properly.

      Common misconception

      Enzymes die rather than denature.

      The word denature is clearly introduced and a CfU explores the word die vs denature.

      Use analogies to explain effects, like a supermarket checkout for substrate concentration, or a loosely folded strip of paper that can be shaken on increased temperature. The practical is really quick to do by pupils themselves, but can also be demonstrated with really cold and really hot potato.
      Teacher tip

      Equipment

      Content guidance

      • Risk assessment required - equipment

      Supervision

      Adult supervision required

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What type of molecule are enzymes?

      Correct answer: proteins
      lipids
      carbohydrates
      amino acids

      Q2.
      True or false? Enzymes can affect the rate of a reaction.

      Correct answer: True
      False

      Q3.
      Enzymes the amount of activation energy needed for a reaction to take place.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: lower, reduce, decrease

      Q4.
      What region on an enzyme does the substrate bind to?

      An image in a quiz
      substrate site
      Correct answer: active site
      complex site
      enzyme substrate complex site

      Q5.
      What can be said about the shape of the active site and the substrate shape?

      they are the same
      Correct answer: they are complementary
      the substrate is like a lock and the enzyme is like a key

      Q6.
      Put the steps in order to show how an enzyme works.

      1 - the substrate and enzyme collide
      2 - the substrate binds to the enzyme
      3 - an enzyme substrate complex forms
      4 - a chemical reaction takes place
      5 - the product(s) are released
      6 - the enzyme is free to catalyse another reaction

      Assessment exit quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      True or false? The concentration of substrate will affect the rate of reaction.

      Correct answer: True
      False

      Q2.
      At high temperatures the shape of the enzyme's active site can change, and it no longer fits the substrate. We say the enzyme has become ...

      Correct answer: denatured
      energised
      unbonded
      denaturalised

      Q3.
      Match the labels to what is happening.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer:a- At low temperatures,there are fewer successful collisions so the reaction rate is lower.

      there are fewer successful collisions so the reaction rate is lower.

      Correct Answer:b- At the optimum temperature,all active sites are full and reaction rate is as high as it can be.

      all active sites are full and reaction rate is as high as it can be.

      Correct Answer:c- At high tmeperatures,the enzyme is denatured. The reaction cannot be catalysed.

      the enzyme is denatured. The reaction cannot be catalysed.

      Q4.
      Which part of an enzyme does the substrate need to collide with for a reaction to take place?

      Correct Answer: active site, the active site

      Q5.
      What is the rate of reaction?

      how much substrate has been used up
      how much substrate has not been used up
      how long it took for the reaction to finish
      Correct answer: how much product is formed per unit of time

      Q6.
      Below are two graphs showing the rates of enzyme facilitated reactions. Match the graph to the factor affecting the rate of reaction.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer:Temperature,Graph B

      Graph B

      Correct Answer:Concentration of substrate,Graph A

      Graph A

      Additional material

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      Lesson appears in

      UnitBiology / Biological molecules and enzymes

      UnitCombined science / Biological molecules and enzymes

      AQACombined science

      EdexcelCombined science

      OCRCombined science