How does the addition of a catalyst affect a reversible reaction?
A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 7 - 2019 - Paper 1
Question 7
How does the addition of a catalyst affect a reversible reaction?
A. It increases the activation energy of the forward reaction only.
B. It decreases the activatio... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:How does the addition of a catalyst affect a reversible reaction?
A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 7 - 2019 - Paper 1
Step 1
D. It decreases the activation energy of both the forward and reverse reactions.
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Answer
A catalyst increases the rate of a reaction by providing an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy for the reaction. This effect applies to all reactions involved in the reversible process. Thus, the activation energies for both the forward and reverse reactions are decreased, facilitating the reaction in both directions.