IB Design IA Approval

Shyanne Watson

Period: 5

ID: 0217937

 

 

IB Design IA Approval

Research Question

What is the effect of sucrose concentration on the percentage change in carbon dioxide (CO₂) due to ethanol (alcohol) fermentation found in yeast cells at different concentrations?

 

Personal Engagement

The fermentation process is around us, from wine and beer production to baking of bread, even its application in the production of soy sauce, cheese, and yogurts. These processes fascinated me, having seen and tasted some of these products that result from fermentation but not quite having an in-depth understanding of the process. These led me to use this opportunity to explore the topic. Furthermore, coming from a family that loves cake and loves baking during family occasions. As a child, the process in which dough was left to rise and became bigger in a few hours always got me thinking, and as I grew up, I learned about the process. Upon understanding that the concentration and type of sugar used had a major effect on the process rate of fermentation.

 

Background Information

Fermentation is a biochemical operation responsible for the production of various food and drinks. Drinks like beer and wine are formed through this alcohol fermentation (Bamforth et al. 2019). Yeast, which is responsible for metabolizing simple sugars and the resultant product is alcohol and carbon dioxide. Yeast is a eukaryotic organism that is responsible for digesting monosaccharides that form simple sugars. Yeast has been used for thousands of years for food and beverage production (Deed et al. 89). The produced (CO₂) alcohol evaporates during baking. This experiment deduces how the sugar concentration will affect the production rate of carbon dioxide and the fermentation rate of the process. Fermentation is an anaerobic process involving the break of simple sugars such as glucose. The absence of air in the process acts like a catalyst when there is no oxygen. The glycolysis process of metabolizing sugar into lactate enables the breaking down of sugar glucose to two molecules, pyruvic acid and ATP, which are organic acids. Pyruvate is further transformed into acetaldehyde, and after going through redox reactions, it forms ethanol (de Castro et al. 66). The yield of this reaction is two molecules of ethanol and carbon dioxide molecules. In the experiment, carbon dioxide that is released will act as an indicator of the fermentation rate.

 

 

 

 

 

Hypothesis:

As the sucrose concentration increases, the rate of fermentation will not change fermentation. This means that there is more reactant for the yeast cells to use, increasing the percentage change in carbon dioxide.

Null Hypothesis:

There will be a significant difference in the percentage change in carbon dioxide during ethanol (alcohol) fermentation in yeast cells when sucrose concentration percentage is altered.

Variables:

Independent: Sucrose (C22H22012) Five concentrations of sucrose solutions are to be used over the course of the experiment. The creation of this solution will use de-ionized water and sucrose in accordance with Table 1.

 

Dependent: Percentage change in CO2, Fermentation rate: The percent change in CO2 will be measured every minute over the course of 5 minutes. Using the initial and final carbon dioxide concentrations in the fermentation environment, the percentage change in carbon dioxide will be measured.

Amount of Yeast, Mass of Yeast: The experiment will use quick-rise yeast throughout, maintaining a mass of 2g in each trial.

The temperature (+_ 0.2): Temperature is to be maintained at 40.1⁰C. Using a hot plate to heat the water bath

The 0% yeast concentration will act as the control level. And thus, the rate of fermentation will be investigated based on the reference point 0% concentration. At 0% concentration, no alteration has been made, and all the factors are at the normal state. The fermentation rate will therefore be recorded at the yeast concentration is varied and differences accessed.

 

Table 1.0: Independent and dependent variables.

Dependent Variable	Independent Variables
Percentage change in CO2	Amount of yeast
	Temperature
	Sucrose (C22H22012) concentration

 

Table 1.1: Hypothesis under consideration

Null Hypothesis	Alternative Hypothesis
No difference in the rate of fermentation with respect to sucrose concentrations (0%,5%,……25%)	There exist a statistically significant difference in the rate of fermentation with respect to the level of sucrose concentrations (0%,5%,….25%) (Temperature and yeast amount remains constant)

 

Table 1.2: Sucrose Solution Concentrations and Respective Masses of Sucrose Required

Concentration	Percentage x 150ml	Mass of sucrose in G
0% (Control point)		0
5%		7.5
10%		15
15%		22.5
20%		30
25%		38.6

 

Materials:

1. 6x 1L Beakers
2. 100mL Graduated Cylinder
3. 1.5L Distilled Water
4. 50g Quick-Rise Yeast
5. Thermometer
6. Vernier Temperature Probe
7. Vernier Lab Quest
8. Vernier Nalgene bottle
9. Masking Tape.
10. Permanent Marker
11. 75g Sucrose
12. Funnel
13. Scale

General Procedures:

1. Prepare all materials and organize the area of the experiment.
2.  Measure sucrose, according to Table 1, and put it in a safe spot. Get ready volumes of water for the arrangements. Measure out 25 units of yeast, each gauging two grams.
3.  Set up the water shower with the guide of warming 600mL of water in a 1L measuring glass on a warm plate. Heat the baths to 40.1⁰C. Let the baths warm while preparing the other elements of the experiment.
4. Label 5 beakers with the concentration headings, as shown in Table 1. Fill the beaker with 0% concentration with 125mL and set aside. Starting with the 5% beaker, add sucrose and water.
5.  Stir. Once the sucrose is dissolved, Move the beaker away and repeat for the three other concentrations.
6. Place the beaker at the top of the magnetic stirrer if the sucrose is not dissolving and set to a lower setting. This will lead to rapid dissolving.

 

1. Using the temperature probe, frequently monitor the warmth of the water bath and adjust accordingly. The temperature target is 40^0; hence make sure it is as constant as possible.

 

1. Use the Lab Quest to check CO2 adjustments every minute for a period of 5 minutes. After that plugin, the CO₂ sensor.
2. Once the water bath has reached and maintained a continuing temperature, beginning with the 0% concentration beaker, measure 25mL of solution using the cylinder, transfer the solution in the Nalgene bottle.
3. When ready, use the funnel to measure 2g of yeast. Submerge the bottle in the water bath, then install the CO2 sensor and attach the retort stand.
4.  Use masking paper, if necessary, to ensure the bottle stays submerged.

 

1. Record data within the data collection tables. Repeat step 7 with each concentration, performing five trials per concentration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works cited

Alcoholic fermentation – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (2011). Science Direct. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/alcoholic-fermentation#:%7E:text=Alcoholic%20fermentation%20is%20a%20complex,properties%20of%20the%20fermented%20foodstuffs.

Bamforth, Charles W., and David J. Cook. Food, fermentation, and micro-organisms. John Wiley & Sons, 2019.

Deed, Rebecca C., Bruno Fedrizzi, and Richard C. Gardner. “Influence of fermentation temperature, yeast strain, and grape juice on the aroma chemistry and sensory profile of Sauvignon Blanc wines.” Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 65.40 (2017): 89-91.

Chemical equation. (2015). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/chemical-equation

de Castro, Aline Machado, and Adriano Carniel. “A novel process for poly (ethylene terephthalate) depolymerization via enzyme-catalyzed glycolysis.” Biochemical Engineering Journal 124 (2017): 64-68.

Effects of Local Conditions on Enzyme Activity – Enzymes – MCAT Biochemistry Review. (2016). Educational Materials.