The enzyme urease catalyzes the reaction of urea, (NH2CONH2), with water to produce carbon dioxide and ammonia. In water, without the enzyme, the reaction proceeds with a first-order rate constant of 4.15 × 15-5s-1 at 100 C. In the presence of the enzyme in water, the reaction proceeds with a rate constant of 3.4 × 104 s-1 at 21 oC.
(a) Write out the balanced equation for the reaction catalyzed by urease.
(b) Assuming the collision factor is the same for both situations, estimate the difference in activation energies for the uncatalyzed versus enzyme-catalyzed reaction?