Chapter 12, Problem 43E

Some bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic penicillin because they produce penicillinase, an enzyme with a molecular weight of $3\times {10}^4$ g/mol that converts penicillin into inactive molecules. Although the kinetics of enzyme-catalyzed reactions can be complex, at low concentrations this reaction can be described by a rate equation that is first order in the catalyst (penicillinase) and that also involves the concentration of penicillin. From the following data: 1.0 L of a solution containing 0.15 $\text{μ}$ g ( $0.15\times {10}^{-6}$ g) of penicillinase, determine the order of the reaction with respect to penicillin and the value of the rate constant.

[Penicillin] (M)	Rate (mol/L/min)
$2.0\times {10}^{-6}$	$1.0\times {10}^{-10}$
$3.0\times {10}^{-6}$	$1.5\times {10}^{-10}$
$4.0\times {10}^{-6}$	$2.0\times {10}^{-10}$