Chapter 17, Problem 42E

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 law 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 $\mu$ g $(0.15\times {\text{ 10}}^{\text{-6}}g)$ of penicillinase, determine the order of the reaction with respect to penicillin and the value of the rate constant.