Final answer:
The false statement about catalysts is that they are consumed during the reaction. Catalysts actually increase the reaction rate without being consumed, remain unchanged in composition, and provide an alternative reaction pathway.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that is false about catalysts is the following: d) Catalysts are consumed during the reaction. A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change. Catalysts work by lowering the activation energy of a reaction, hence increasing the rate at which reactants are converted to products.
Catalysts do indeed participate in chemical reactions, but they do so in a way that allows them to be regenerated at the end of the reaction cycle. In essence, they are not consumed or used up, and typically remain unchanged in mass and chemical composition after the reaction is complete.
Therefore, options a), b), and c) are accurate descriptions of catalysts. They do increase the reaction rate (a), remain unchanged after the reaction (b), and initiate reactions by providing an alternative pathway with lower activation energy (c).