Which statement about catalysts is true?

Which statement about catalysts is true?

• A. A catalyst increases the rate without being consumed.
• B. A catalyst must be consumed in the reaction.
• C. A catalyst always changes the equilibrium constant.
• D. A catalyst lowers the activation energy but is consumed.

Answer: (A)

Catalysts speed up reactions by providing an alternate pathway with a lower activation energy, and they are not consumed in the process. This means the reaction proceeds faster, but the catalyst is regenerated and can catalyze more cycles. Because the catalyst affects how fast the forward and reverse reactions happen equally, it does not change the equilibrium constant or the final ratio of products to reactants. So the statement that a catalyst increases the rate without being consumed is the accurate description. The other ideas mix in concepts that aren’t true: a catalyst isn’t consumed, it doesn’t inherently change the equilibrium constant, and while it lowers the energy barrier for the reaction, it isn’t consumed in doing so.

Catalysts speed up reactions by providing an alternate pathway with a lower activation energy, and they are not consumed in the process. This means the reaction proceeds faster, but the catalyst is regenerated and can catalyze more cycles. Because the catalyst affects how fast the forward and reverse reactions happen equally, it does not change the equilibrium constant or the final ratio of products to reactants. So the statement that a catalyst increases the rate without being consumed is the accurate description. The other ideas mix in concepts that aren’t true: a catalyst isn’t consumed, it doesn’t inherently change the equilibrium constant, and while it lowers the energy barrier for the reaction, it isn’t consumed in doing so.