Catalysts and Activation Energy Flashcards

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What is a catalyst?

A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction but is not used up in the reaction.

How does a catalyst change the rate of a reaction?

It makes the reaction faster by giving an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy.

What is meant by activation energy?

Activation energy is the minimum energy that reacting particles must have for a collision to make a product.

How does lowering activation energy speed up a reaction?

If the activation energy is lower, more particles have enough energy to react, so there are more successful collisions each second.

Does a catalyst get used up in a reaction? Explain your answer.

No. A catalyst is not used up and can be used again because it is chemically unchanged at the end.

What name is given to catalysts found in living things?

They are called enzymes.

In an energy level diagram, what changes when a catalyst is added to a reaction?

The height of the activation energy barrier (the peak) gets lower, but the energy of the reactants and products stays the same.

Why is using a catalyst helpful in industry?

It allows reactions to happen faster and often at lower temperatures, which saves time and energy costs.

Give one example of a catalyst and the reaction it speeds up.

Iron acts as a catalyst in the Haber process, which makes ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen.

What does it mean to say that a catalyst is specific?

It means a catalyst usually only works for one particular reaction or type of reaction, not for all reactions.