What is the effect of a catalyst on a system at equilibrium?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the effect of a catalyst on a system at equilibrium?
Shifts the equilibrium position
Increases the rate of reaction
Decreases the equilibrium constant
Has no effect on the reaction
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the effect of a catalyst on a system at equilibrium?
Step 1: Understand what a catalyst is. A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.
Step 2: Know that in a chemical reaction, there are two types of reactions: the forward reaction (reactants turning into products) and the reverse reaction (products turning back into reactants).
Step 3: Realize that a system at equilibrium means the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction, so the concentrations of reactants and products remain constant.
Step 4: Learn that when a catalyst is added to a system at equilibrium, it speeds up both the forward and reverse reactions equally.
Step 5: Conclude that because the catalyst affects both reactions the same way, it does not change the position of the equilibrium (the ratio of reactants to products).
Step 6: Finally, understand that the presence of a catalyst helps the system reach equilibrium faster, but it does not change the final concentrations of reactants and products.
