Question

Students are viewing a graph that is showing the reaction with an enzyme and without an enzyme.

The first student argues that the enzyme does not change the products of the reaction, while the second student says the enzyme does make different products.

Which student is correct and why?

Question 4 options:

The second student is correct because the lines are running parallel to each other but do not cross, so the products would be different.


The first student is correct because whether or not an enzyme is used, the reaction stops at the same place, indicating the products are the same.


The first student is correct because the two lines run parallel to each other, indicating the reaction is identical in the amount of energy used and produced.


The second student is correct because the lines are not identical to each other, so different products would be formed.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

**The first student is correct because whether or not an enzyme is used, the reaction stops at the same place, indicating the products are the same.**

Enzymes act as catalysts in chemical reactions, meaning they speed up the reaction rate without altering the products formed. Both reactions, with and without the enzyme, will lead to the same end products, though the pathway and speed may differ. The fact that the graphs indicate the reactions stop at the same place signifies that the final products remain unchanged despite the presence of the enzyme.