SAINT JOSEPH COLLEGE
6600 MAASIN CITY
SOUTHERN LEYTE, PHILIPPINES
Senior High School Department
Physical Science
Module 7: Catalyst
What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you to define catalyst and describe
how it affects reaction rate.
The module contains discussion about catalyst as one of the factors affecting the reaction rate.
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. describe the concept of catalyst;
2. present catalyst as an effective means of affecting the reaction rate; and
3. realize the importance of catalyst and how it affects your life.
Pre-test
Modified TRUE or FALSE.
Directions: On the space at the left, write TRUE if the statement is true. If the statement is false, change the italicized
word to make it correct.
____________________ 1. A catalyst is a substance that can be added to a reaction to increase the reaction rate
without getting consumed in the process.
____________________ 2. Heat is not a catalyst since it can’t be taken out of the reaction in the same amount it was
inputted into the reaction.
____________________ 3. Catalysts increase the rates of chemical reactions by raising the activation energy of the
reactions.
____________________ 4. Collisions only result in a reaction if the particles collide with a certain maximum energy
called the activation energy of the reaction.
____________________ 5. A chemical reaction may be energetically favorable (i.e. exothermic), and so if the
activation barrier is high (i.e. the activation energy is high), the reaction rate may be extremely slow.
______________________6. Decreasing the concentration of reactants increases the collision frequency between
reacting particles.
______________________7. Increasing the concentration of a substance increases the kinetic energy of the particles
that make up the substance.
______________________8. Raising the temperature of a reaction increases the rate of the reaction by increasing
the energy of the collisions between reacting particles.
______________________9. Lowering the surface area of a reactant increases the rate of the reaction.
______________________10. Catalysts permit reactions to proceed along a higher energy path.
______________________11. Smaller particle size allows for a larger surface area to be exposed for the reaction.
______________________12. Temperature is the measure of how much area of an object is exposed.
______________________13. Grains of sugar have a greater surface area than a solid cube of sugar of the same
mass, and therefore will dissolve quicker in water.
______________________14. Decreasing the temperature causes the particles (atoms or molecules) of the reactants
to move more quickly so that they collide with each other more frequently and with more energy.
_____________________15. Catalyst describes the idea that atoms, ions, and molecules must collide in order to
react.
---- end of Pre-Test-------
Reaction rates generally increase with increasing reactant concentration, increasing temperature, and the
addition of a catalyst. Physical properties such as high solubility also increase reaction rates. Solvent polarity can
either increase or decrease the rate of reaction, but increasing solvent viscosity generally decreases reaction rates.
This information is obtained by studying the chemical kinetics of a reaction, which depend on various factors:
reactant concentrations, temperature, physical states and surface areas of reactants, and solvent and catalyst
properties if either are present.
Key Terms
• Activation energy: the minimum energy required for a reaction to occur.
• Catalysis: the increase in the rate of a chemical reaction by lowering its activation energy.
• Transition state: an intermediate state during a chemical reaction that has a higher energy than the reactants or the
products.
• Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution: a probability distribution used for describing the speeds of various particles within
a stationary container at a specific temperature. The distribution is often represented with a graph, with the y-axis
defined as the number of molecules and the x-axis defined as the speed.
The Effect of a Catalyst on Rate of Reaction
This part explains how adding a catalyst affects the rate of reaction. It assumes familiarity with basic concepts in the
collision theory of reaction rates, and with the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of molecular energies in a gas. A
catalyst is a substance which speeds up a reaction, but is chemically unchanged at its end. When the reaction has
finished, the mass of catalyst is the same as at the beginning. Several examples of catalyzed reactions and their
respective catalysts are given below:
The Importance of Activation Energy
Collisions only result in a reaction if the particles collide with a certain minimum energy called the activation energy
for the reaction. The position of activation energy can be determined on a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution:
Only those particles represented by the area to the right of the activation energy will react when they collide. The
majority do not have enough energy, and will simply bounce apart.
To increase the rate of a reaction, the number of successful collisions must be increased. One possible way of
doing this is to provide an alternative way for the reaction to happen which has a lower activation energy. In other
words, to move the activation energy to the left on the graph:
Adding a catalyst has this effect on activation energy. A catalyst provides an alternative route for the reaction with a
lower activation energy. This is illustrated on the following energy profile:
Post-test
A. Complete the group of words to form relevant ideas about the lesson.
➢ A catalyst is _____________________________________________________________________
➢ An enzyme _____________________________________________________________________
➢ Activation energy is related to rate of reaction because __________________________________
➢ Without catalyst, life is ____________________________________________________________
B. Acrostic Poem. Now that you have learned the nature of catalyst, make an acrostic poem using the word
CATALYST. In making the poem you may also write the importance of catalyst in our daily life.
C-
A-
T-
A-
L-
Y-
S-
T-
--- end of Post Test ---
--- End of Module 7 ---