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I am having difficulty with Kaplan's explanation for the following question:
The rate of an enzyme catalyzed reaction can be influenced by all of the following EXCEPT
A. Substrate concentration
B. Temperature
C. Enzyme concentration
D. Rate Constant
E. pH
The answer provided is D. Rate Constant. The explanation states that: the rate constant (k) which appears in the rate law is a temperature dependent constant. For a given temperature nothing will change k, so it can have no influence on an enzyme catalyzed reaction.
Now, it seems to me that this is a case of a poor question stem. How can the rate constant not influence the rate of an enzyme catalyzed reaction? Does the rate constant not appear in every rate law, whether enzyme catalyzed or not?
It seems to me that the question they are trying to ask is what influences an the action of an enzyme, instead of the rate of an enzyme catalyzed reaction.
What concerns me is whether questions of this nature (confusing, ambiguous wording) would be likely to show up on the real test.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
The rate of an enzyme catalyzed reaction can be influenced by all of the following EXCEPT
A. Substrate concentration
B. Temperature
C. Enzyme concentration
D. Rate Constant
E. pH
The answer provided is D. Rate Constant. The explanation states that: the rate constant (k) which appears in the rate law is a temperature dependent constant. For a given temperature nothing will change k, so it can have no influence on an enzyme catalyzed reaction.
Now, it seems to me that this is a case of a poor question stem. How can the rate constant not influence the rate of an enzyme catalyzed reaction? Does the rate constant not appear in every rate law, whether enzyme catalyzed or not?
It seems to me that the question they are trying to ask is what influences an the action of an enzyme, instead of the rate of an enzyme catalyzed reaction.
What concerns me is whether questions of this nature (confusing, ambiguous wording) would be likely to show up on the real test.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
