Chemistry I / Reaction Kinetics
Practice question · Sort into groups

Sort each quantity by whether adding a catalyst changes it.

Groups: Changed by a catalyst · Unchanged by a catalyst

Hints
  1. A catalyst offers a new route between the same start and end points.
  2. It accelerates forward and reverse reactions by the same factor, so their ratio cannot move.
Show the answer

Changed by a catalyst: Activation energy of the pathway, Rate constant of the forward reaction, Time taken to reach equilibrium

Unchanged by a catalyst: Position of the equilibrium, Enthalpy change of the reaction, Equilibrium constant

Why

A catalyst lowers the barrier, so both rate constants rise and equilibrium arrives sooner. But the reactants and products are unchanged, so ΔH\Delta H is fixed, and because both directions speed up equally their ratio, the equilibrium constant, cannot shift.

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