Required Practical: Measuring Decomposition Rate

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🧪 Required Practical: Measuring Decomposition Rate

Painted lab apparatus for the decomposition required practical: two conical flasks side by side, each with a cotton wool plug and containing cloudy milk with lipase enzyme and a pH indicator. LEFT flask sits in a warm water bath at 35°C with steam rising. RIGHT flask sits in an ice bath at 5°C with snowflakes drifting. Painted parchment lists the experimental design — independent variable: temperature; dependent variable: time for milk to clear; control variables: pH, milk volume, enzyme concentration. Decomposition is faster at warmer temperatures up to around 40°C.

This practical investigates how temperature affects decomposition by measuring the time taken for lipase enzyme to break down the lipids in milk. A pH indicator (e.g., cresol red) changes colour as fatty acids are released, allowing the rate of decomposition to be timed at different temperatures.

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