According to the adsorption theory of catalysis, the speed of the reaction increases because : (a) in the process of adsorption, the activation energy of the molecules becomes large (b) adsorption produces heat which increases the speed of the reaction (c) adsorption lowers the activation energy of the reaction (d) adsorption increases the activation energy of the reaction

Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy that reacting species must possess to undergo a chemical reaction. It's akin to the initial push you need to get over a hill. Just as a cyclist needs a burst of energy to start the ascent, reactants need this energy to break bonds and form new ones.

In the context of adsorption theory of catalysis, a catalyst provides a surface for reactants to adhere, effectively reducing the hill they must climb — in this case, the activation energy. Imagine a pathway around the hill that's less steep and easier to traverse. This lower energy route afforded by the catalyst means that more molecules have sufficient energy to react at a given temperature, thus speeding up the reaction.

As the step by step solution indicated, adsorption affects the activation energy by lowering it, thus explaining option (c) 'adsorption lowers the activation energy of the reaction'. This is a critical concept in understanding how catalysts work to accelerate chemical reactions.

Chemical kinetics is the study of the rates at which chemical reactions proceed and the factors influencing these rates. It's comparable to analyzing the speed at which a car travels and the factors that can slow it down or speed it up. For a reaction to occur, molecules must collide with proper orientation and sufficient force to bring about change.

The speed at which these collisions happen and lead to successful reactions is influenced by factors such as temperature, concentration of reactants, surface area, and the presence of a catalyst. In the steps of the solution, we see how adsorption in catalysis plays a pivotal role. By binding reactants to a catalyst's surface, the frequency and quality of collisions improve, effectively making the reaction proceed more quickly and efficiently.

Catalysts are like the unsung heroes of chemical reactions, quietly working to ensure reactants transform into products efficiently without taking any of the limelight for themselves, as they emerge chemically unchanged post-reaction. They are not just accelerators; they are smart enablers, creating an alternative pathway for reactants to become products.

This pathway, facilitated by catalysts, is lower in energy than the one the reactants would typically take without the catalyst's presence. The power of adsorption in catalysis, as shown in the solution steps, is in its ability to reduce energy barriers and provide a meeting place for reactants on the catalyst's surface. This can be visualized as hosting a social event where bringing guests into closer proximity makes interactions more likely and productive; similarly, catalysts bring reactant molecules in closer proximity to encourage successful reactions.