Fermentation Formation Levels: The Effects of Potassium Nitrate on producing Carbon Dioxide Abundance in Yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae)

Abstract

Fermentation is the process necessary to convert sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Energy is needed for yeast to grow which is why different nutrients are added to help assist with the process. The type of yeast strain we experimented with is called Saccharomyces Cerevisiae. We tested to see which type of nutrient will assist the yeast in a faster production rate when considering different variable. Our Experiment consisted of three different biochambers each with a different amount of potassium nitrate (KNO3). We had a 50 microL, 100 microL, 150 microL different amounts of KNO3 but kept the amount of glucose and yeast constant. From our hypothesis we had predicted that 100 microL of KNO3 will increase the carbon dioxide levels (CO2) from the yeast. The results that were collected showed that the 50 microL produced CO2 but not enough, the 150 micro liters did not produce enough CO2 as we would have hoped. As our hypothesis has predicted the 100 micro liters of KNO3 did produce a significant amount of CO2 when compared to the other two measurements.