It decreases the activation energy, or the energy barrier the reactants must go through to form products. This is the same thing as the energy of the transition state.
By decreasing the activation energy necessary for the reaction to occur, more reactants are able to form products since not as much energy is needed.
See the Web Links to the left of this answer for more information.
A catalyst lowers the activation energy for a reaction between two molecules by providing an alternative path for the reaction to happen.
This way more molecules will collide with the correct amount of energy, hence speeding up the reaction.
An enzyme is referred to as a catalyst as it sets off the digestive process beginning with amylase in the mouth which is produced by the salivary glands (...and followed by all the other enzymes that are mixed with the food along the alimentary canal)
No they do not. A catalyst is a thing (atom, molecule, element, etc.) that speeds up a chem. rxn by lowering the activation energy without being altered itself. So it only cause the reaction to occur faster, but will not have any affect on the equilibrium. Also, since the catalyst is not altered, it should 'come out' exactly as it 'went in.'
That is the definition of a catalyst.
The substances which cause chemical reactions in a cell are protein catalysts called enzymes. Some cause reactions that would otherwise not occur and others speed reactions up. Carbon dioxide dissolves in water by itself but since this a dangerous substance to have in cells, there is a catalyst that dissolves it 300 times faster.
Enzymes cannot affect the equilibrium of a reaction, nor can they cause a thermodynamically unfavorable reaction to proceed. They are catalysts and can only alter the activation energy and therefore the rate of the reaction.
A greater the surface area will cause the reaction will proceed faster because there are more available sites where another reagent or catalyst can "attack" the reactant.
To Cause a Chemical reaction. A properly chosen, specific catalyst is able to speed up the rate of a particular chemical reaction.
An enzyme is referred to as a catalyst as it sets off the digestive process beginning with amylase in the mouth which is produced by the salivary glands (...and followed by all the other enzymes that are mixed with the food along the alimentary canal)
If you mean something else, like- What can speed up a chemical reaction, that would be a catalyst. Or, you could say heat, though that is not an element.
No they do not. A catalyst is a thing (atom, molecule, element, etc.) that speeds up a chem. rxn by lowering the activation energy without being altered itself. So it only cause the reaction to occur faster, but will not have any affect on the equilibrium. Also, since the catalyst is not altered, it should 'come out' exactly as it 'went in.'
Lowers the activation energy of a reaction, therefore speeding the reaction up.Catalysts speed up chemical reactions. They do not change the products or reactants of the reaction, and are not used up or consumed in the reaction. Biological catalysts are called enzymes. Catalysts lower the activation energy (or energy needed to start a reaction), and cause the reaction to occur more quickly.
(with reference to a horse or other quadruped) proceed or cause to proceed at a pace faster than a walk, lifting each diagonal pair of legs alternately
That is the definition of a catalyst.
A catalyst is something that provides an alternative route for a reaction to occur, either by allowing the reaction to occur at a different transition state or by changing the activation energy, and the catalyst itself does not undergo any chemical change during the reaction (materials that do undergo chemical changes are not classified as catalysts, and it gets murkier when you ask about physical changes, i believe there is an iron based material that acts like a catalyst but undergoes a physical change) Alternatively, catalyst can mean an event or a person that produces progress (whether positive or negative), e.g. when someone says 'his appointment was the catalyst for the company's success)
The substances which cause chemical reactions in a cell are protein catalysts called enzymes. Some cause reactions that would otherwise not occur and others speed reactions up. Carbon dioxide dissolves in water by itself but since this a dangerous substance to have in cells, there is a catalyst that dissolves it 300 times faster.
Increased concentration, increased temperature, and a catalyst will all increase reaction rates relative to what they normally are. Some reactions however will still be slow even with the change in these variables.
Enzymes cannot affect the equilibrium of a reaction, nor can they cause a thermodynamically unfavorable reaction to proceed. They are catalysts and can only alter the activation energy and therefore the rate of the reaction.