Question

The “Temperature Challenge” booth displays results from the same enzyme reaction tested at three different temperatures. warm waters, ice water, and room temperature. Order the following temperature conditions from slowest to fastest enzyme reaction speed.

Answer 1

Slowest → Fastest:
ice water → room temperature → warm water

Reason: low temperature greatly reduces molecular motion and enzyme flexibility so reactions are slow; increasing temperature speeds up collisions and enzyme activity up to the enzyme's optimum (so warm water gives the fastest rate). (If “warm” were hot enough to denature the enzyme, the order could change.)