What is the role of a catalyst in a chemical reaction?

What is the role of a catalyst in a chemical reaction?

• A. To increase the temperature of the reaction
• B. To increase the reaction rate without being consumed
• C. To change the overall reaction equation
• D. To provide a different solvent for the reaction

Answer: (B)

A catalyst plays a crucial role in chemical reactions by increasing the reaction rate without undergoing any permanent change itself or being consumed by the reaction. This means that once the reaction has taken place, the catalyst can be recovered and reused. It achieves this by providing an alternative pathway for the reaction that has a lower activation energy compared to the non-catalyzed pathway. As a result, more reactant molecules have the necessary energy to overcome this barrier and convert into products in a shorter amount of time. This unique ability of a catalyst allows for efficient progress in a reaction without altering the position of equilibrium or changing the overall reaction equation. In contrast to catalysts, other options such as altering reaction conditions like temperature or providing a different solvent do not specifically pertain to the fundamental role of a catalyst, which is primarily focused on enhancing the reaction rate while remaining unchanged.

A catalyst plays a crucial role in chemical reactions by increasing the reaction rate without undergoing any permanent change itself or being consumed by the reaction. This means that once the reaction has taken place, the catalyst can be recovered and reused. It achieves this by providing an alternative pathway for the reaction that has a lower activation energy compared to the non-catalyzed pathway. As a result, more reactant molecules have the necessary energy to overcome this barrier and convert into products in a shorter amount of time.

This unique ability of a catalyst allows for efficient progress in a reaction without altering the position of equilibrium or changing the overall reaction equation. In contrast to catalysts, other options such as altering reaction conditions like temperature or providing a different solvent do not specifically pertain to the fundamental role of a catalyst, which is primarily focused on enhancing the reaction rate while remaining unchanged.