Multiple Choice
Which of the following best describes how a catalyst affects the rate of a chemical reaction?
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15. Chemical Kinetics
Catalyst
Multiple Choice
Why do catalysts increase the rate of a chemical reaction?
A
They lower the activation energy required for the reaction to occur.
B
They increase the temperature of the reaction mixture.
C
They provide additional reactants for the reaction.
D
They change the equilibrium position of the reaction.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that the rate of a chemical reaction depends on the energy barrier that reactants must overcome to form products, known as the activation energy.
Recognize that catalysts work by providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy compared to the uncatalyzed reaction.
Lowering the activation energy means more reactant molecules have enough energy to reach the transition state at a given temperature, increasing the reaction rate.
Note that catalysts do not increase the temperature of the reaction mixture; temperature is an external condition and not altered by the catalyst itself.
Also, catalysts do not change the equilibrium position or provide additional reactants; they only speed up the rate at which equilibrium is reached by lowering the activation energy.
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