Question

How does a catalyst work

Answer 1

A catalyst changes the way a reaction occurs, thereby lowering its activation energy and speeding up the reaction. All catalysts return to their original condition after a reaction is complete.

Answer 2

Catalysts called enzymes are important in biology. A catalyst works by providing an alternative reaction pathway to the reaction product. The rate of the reaction is increased as this alternative route has a lower activation energy than the reaction route not mediated by the catalyst.