Lineweaver-Burk Plot Calculator
Calculate and visualize Lineweaver-Burk plots for enzyme kinetics analysis.
Lineweaver-Burk Plot Parameters
Enter Km, Vmax, and substrate concentrations to generate the plot.
About the Lineweaver-Burk Plot
Due to the fact that Vmax is never actually reached experimentally, it is difficult to determine its value directly from the typical hyperbolic Michaelis-Menten curve. Instead, Vmax and KM can be determined experimentally by measuring the initial rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction at various substrate concentrations.
The Lineweaver-Burk (LB) plot is then constructed by taking the reciprocal of both sides of the Michaelis-Menten equation, plotting 1/v0 against 1/[S]. This transformation generates a straight line: the y-intercept is 1/Vmax, the x-intercept is -1/KM, and the slope is KM/Vmax. This approach allows for accurate calculations of KM and Vmax.
Consequently, the double reciprocal plot (1/vi vs. 1/[S]) serves as a clear visual method to derive these key enzyme kinetics parameters. Although modern methods often rely on direct curve-fitting, the Lineweaver-Burk plot remains a fundamental teaching tool and a valuable check on experimental data.