1) Did any of your results from this lab surprise you?
I was surprised but unpleasantly. I was disappointed because we did not get the expected end result that we were looking for (I was expecting others to remember the extra steps necessary and they were expecting me to as well). I am just going to have to keep checks and balances in the group next time.
2) What did you conclude was the optimal temperature at which Beano can function? Why do you think that is the case?
The optimal temperature for beano would be anything below 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). I know this because Beano is just a brand name for the enzyme "alpha-galactosidase" which is an enzyme. Since enzymes are also proteins this means that they are subject to denaturation which simply means it won't work (you'll still get gas). I also happen to know this because that is what it says on the back of the container for Beano. Because it says nothing about NOT super-cooling the enzyme, I assume it will work at sub zero temperatures as well.