3.13: Know that a Catalyst Works by Providing an Alternative pathway with Lower Activation Energy

CATALYST: Substance that increases the rate of a reaction whilst remaining chemically unchanged at the end of reaction

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• Catalyst provides an alternative pathway requiring lower activation energy, therefore more colliding particles will have the necessary activation energy to react
• This allows more frequent successful collisions to occur, increasing the rate of reaction

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ENERGY LEVEL DIAGRAM:

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ACTIVATION ENERGY WITHOUT CATALYST:

Graph showing the Energy Level Diagram without a Catalyst

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ACTIVATION ENERGY WITH CATALYST:

       

Graph showing the Energy Level Diagram with a Catalyst