When you learn about catalysts in Year 12 Chemistry, it’s really interesting to see how they work! A common misunderstanding is that catalysts change the balance of a reaction. But actually, they don’t alter where the balance lands; instead, they speed up how quickly we get to that balanced point.
Here’s a simple breakdown:
What Catalysts Do: Catalysts create an easier way for reactions to happen. This means that more molecules can hit the energy level needed to react.
Reaching Equilibrium: By making both the forward and backward reactions happen faster, catalysts help everything reach balance more quickly.
Equilibrium Position: It’s important to remember that while catalysts help things move faster, they don’t change how much of the starting materials and products are present when balance is achieved.
In a way, you can think of them as a good referee in a game: they help keep things running smoothly (or help the reaction), but they don’t actually score any points (they don’t change the balance). So, while catalysts are really useful for speeding things up, they don’t change the overall balance!
When you learn about catalysts in Year 12 Chemistry, it’s really interesting to see how they work! A common misunderstanding is that catalysts change the balance of a reaction. But actually, they don’t alter where the balance lands; instead, they speed up how quickly we get to that balanced point.
Here’s a simple breakdown:
What Catalysts Do: Catalysts create an easier way for reactions to happen. This means that more molecules can hit the energy level needed to react.
Reaching Equilibrium: By making both the forward and backward reactions happen faster, catalysts help everything reach balance more quickly.
Equilibrium Position: It’s important to remember that while catalysts help things move faster, they don’t change how much of the starting materials and products are present when balance is achieved.
In a way, you can think of them as a good referee in a game: they help keep things running smoothly (or help the reaction), but they don’t actually score any points (they don’t change the balance). So, while catalysts are really useful for speeding things up, they don’t change the overall balance!