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Chapter 61: Problem 2

What effect does a catalyst have on the \(\Delta H^{\circ}\) of a chemical reaction? Explain your reasoning.

Short Answer

Expert verified
A catalyst does not affect the \(\Delta H^{\circ}\) of a chemical reaction because it doesn't change the initial and final states of the reaction, rather it just provides an alternate pathway with lower activation energy.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Catalyst

A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy barrier. However, it does not get consumed in the reaction. Therefore, it can be recovered in its original form after the reaction.
02

Understand Enthalpy Change (\(\Delta H^{\circ}\))

Enthalpy change (\(\Delta H^{\circ}\)) of a reaction is the heat absorbed or released during a reaction at constant pressure. It depends on the initial and final states of the reaction.
03

Analyze the Effect of Catalyst

The catalyst lowers the activation energy, meaning it allows the reaction to proceed more quickly. However, since the catalyst does not change the initial and final states of the reaction, it does not affect the \(\Delta H^{\circ}\) of the reaction.
04

Final Explanation

So, a catalyst speeds up the reaction by lowering the activation energy, but it does not alter the \(\Delta H^{\circ}\) because it does not change the initial and final states of the reaction.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

How does the rate of the rate-limiting step in a mechanism involving a catalyst compare to the rate of the rate-limiting step of the mechanism without the catalyst present? Explain your reasoning.

What effect does a catalyst have on the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical equation describing a reaction? Explain your reasoning.

What effect does a catalyst have on the activation energy of an overall reaction?
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