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Chapter 59: Problem 11

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

Short Answer

Expert verified
A catalyst lowers the activation energy of an overall reaction.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the concept of a catalyst and activation energy

A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction by lowering the amount of energy required to start the reaction, called the Activation Energy. Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy needed for a chemical reaction to proceed.
02

Understand the role of a catalyst

A catalyst works by providing an alternative pathway for a reaction to occur that requires less energy. It does this by lowering the activation energy.
03

Explain the effect of a catalyst on the activation energy

As a result of the catalyst providing an alternate pathway that requires less energy, the activation energy for the overall reaction is lowered. This means that the reaction can proceed faster and more easily.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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 \(\Delta H^{\circ}\) of a chemical reaction? Explain your reasoning.

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.
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