When you Reduce activation energy what happens?

Answer 1

Reducing activation energy allows chemical reactions in the cells of living things to occur at temperatures at which the cells can survive. Reducing activation energy is carried out by enzyme catalysts. The enzyme catalysts are not used up in the reaction, and can be used in subsequent chemical reactions.

Answer 2

Activation energy = the energy needed to break the initial bonds in a reaction

Catalyst lowers the energy needed to break the bonds.

This is because a catalyst allows a different mechanism to come into the reaction.

Imagine you are trying to climb a hill. Climb = activation energy.

But if you found a tunnel leading through the hill, then it would not take up as much energy to get past the hill. Tunnel = catalyst.

This is pretty much how a catalyst works in a reaction. Without the catalyst, the particles have to be moving faster in order to break the initial bonds (so need more energy). But the catalyst provides a different and easier way to break the bonds.

Not easy to understand, I know, but I hope that I've shined a little light on your query.

Answer 3

Reactions that take place need a certain amount of energy in order to make things happen. A catalyst can change this is certain way. in most way, the structure of chemical A is changed in such a way that the other chemical B can approach it more easily. Therefore the chance that A and B meet in the specific way becomes easier and therefore less energy is required.

Answer 4

When you reduce activation energy, you lower the energy barrier that molecules need to overcome to undergo a reaction. This results in the reaction proceeding at a faster rate because a greater proportion of molecules have sufficient energy to react.

Answer 5

When a catalyst is added to a reaction the activation energy will decrease, becase the catalyst provides an alternative route for the reactants which requires less activation energy

Answer 6

By making it much easier for reactants to come together, they increase the speed of reactions.

Answer 7

A lower activation energy means that more particles have the minimum kinetic energy to react (thus more can react), so the reaction is quicker.