In chemistry what is a catalyst and an example?
Catalysts are substances that increase the rate of a reaction by providing a low energy shortcut from reactants to products. In some cases, reactions occur so slowly that without a catalyst, they are of little value. Nearly all reactions that occur in living cells require catalysts called enzymes- without them, life would be impossible. There are two important classes of catalysts: homogenous catalysts like enzymes and aqueous ions that are uniformly mixed with the reactants, and heterogeneous catalysts that provide a surface that holds and reconfigures the reactants in a way that is favorable for reaction. Examples of homogeneous catalysis. Catalysts in solution with the reactants usually provide fast reaction paths by allowing reactants to form an unstable intermediate that quickly decomposes into products. For example, the substitution reaction CH3CH2OH(g) + HCl(g) H2SO4 ----->CH3CH2Cl + H2O(ell) is catalyzed by acid because the ethanol is converted into unstable CH3CH2OH2+, which quickly reacts with Cl- to produce the products. Definition: A catalyst is a subtance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction by reducing the activation energy, but which is left unchanged by the reaction. Examples: A piece of platinum foil is a catalyst for the combustion of methane in air.
A catalyst is a liquid or a gas you can add to a substance to make it react quicker and/or upon itself or another chemical. A catalyst can be one chemical you add to another that causes a significant reaction or they could be variables in an experiment (like temperature) can be a catalyst. It could also be a liquid/gas that you add to a substance to neutralize it or make it safe to clean/touch/handle. For instance if you spill chemicals in a biology lab, you have to add a catalyst (generally water or clarifying soap) to make it safe to clean up. Hope I could help.
