Question

A student designs an experiment to test substances X, Y, and Z, to determine which one is a catalyst for the reaction: A + B ® C. Only one of the unknown substances is a catalyst, and the others are nonreactive with A, B, or C. When 10 mL of A is added to 10 mL of B, the reaction takes twenty seconds. Bubbles form when the product C is created. The student prepares three test tubes, each containing both reactants A and B. She adds unknowns X, Y, and Z to test tubes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. She then times the reaction in each test tube from the point when the unknown is added until bubbling stops. How can the student identify the catalyst? The test tube that stops bubbling first contains the catalyst. The test tube that produces the most bubbles contains the catalyst. The test tube that bubbles the longest contains the catalyst. The test tube that does not bubble contains the catalyst.

Answer 1

The test tube that stops bubbling first contains the answer. A catalyst speeds things up so it may bubble sooner and at a faster rate.

Answer 2

A student designs an experiment to test substances X, Y, and Z, to determine which one is a catalyst for the reaction.

A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

According to the given experiment, the correct option is A to identify the catalyst.

The test tube that stops bubbling first contains the catalyst.