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What is the purpose of the detergent in the Exploring Enzymes experiment?




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The activity can be viewed at: Exploring Enzymes

Hello,

The purpose of the dish soap is to trap the oxygen gas bubbles, forming a stable foam that makes the reaction easier to observe. As long as the enzyme catalase and hydrogen peroxide are present in the solution, the reaction continues, and foam is present. Without dish soap, you would only see bubbles, not the foam formation.

I hope that helps!