catalysts

Catalyst

• rate of a chemical reaction is increased

• providing reactants with alternative reaction pathway

• decrease activation energies

catalyst process

• molecule binds catalyst

• increased rate of disociation

• released from catalyst (catalyst has not changed shape)

positive catalyst

• increase rate of reaction

• decrease activation energy

• accept smaller energetic pathway

negative catalyst

• decrease rate of reaction

• increase activation energy

• less effective collisions

examples of catalysts

enzymes

• catalyze reactions in living cells

Heterogeneous Catalysts in Catalytic Converters

• nitrogen oxide → nitrogen gas

• carbon monoxide → carbon dioxide