How does catalyst aid a chemical reaction?
A catalyst will change the activation time; in a faster way. Hence the reaction will worke quicker. It is kind of like Nitrous in a car. It speeds up the engine, which would be kind of comparabale to two substances.
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. Catalysts generally react with one or more reactants to form an intermediate that subsequently give the final reaction product, in the process regenerating the catalyst. The following is a typical reaction scheme, where C represents the catalyst, X and Y are reactants, and Z is the product of the reaction of X and Y: X + C → XC (1) Y + XC → XYC (2) XYC → CZ (3) CZ → C + Z (4) Although the catalyst is consumed by reaction 1, it is subsequently produced by reaction 4, so for the overall reaction: X + Y → Z As a catalyst is regenerated in a reaction, often only small amounts are needed to increase the rate of the reaction.
it makes the reaction go faster.
Catalyst just speed up the chemical reaction they don't effect the chemical reaction or its equilibrium.............
A catalyst will lower the activation energy of a reaction, and hence allow it to happen faster. The actual mechanisms vary widely. Two mechanisms are: 1/ formation of intermediate compounds, which can then decompose into the catalyst and the required product 2/ provision of a large surface area for adsorption, so the reactant molecules can come into contact sooner.
