Question

A catalyst increases the rate of a reaction by

A. providing an alternative reaction pathway with lower enthalpy change.
B. lowering the potential energy of the reactants in the reaction.
C. providing an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy.
D. lowering the potential energy of the products in the reaction.

Answer 1

The answer would be A) providing an alternative reaction pathway with lower enthalpy change.
Hope this helps!

Answer 2

The correct option is C

Step-by-step explanation:

For a reaction to occur, there is a minimum amount of energy that must be "met". This minimum amount of energy is called activation energy. Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required for a reaction to occur. When this activation energy is high, it takes a longer time for the reaction to occur, hence it slows down the rate of a chemical reaction but when the activation energy is low, the rate of a chemical reaction is increased.

A catalyst is known to increase the rate of a chemical reaction - it does this by reducing the activation energy of the reaction, providing an alternative reaction pathway for the reaction.