Catalysts and Le Chatelier's Principle might seem like two different ideas, but they actually work well together when we talk about chemical balance.

Let’s start with catalysts.

Catalysts are substances that help a reaction happen faster without getting used up.

They lower the energy needed to start the reaction, which means reactants turn into products more quickly.

But here’s the key: catalysts don’t change where the reaction ends up. They just help get there faster.

Now, let’s discuss Le Chatelier's Principle.

This principle says that if you disturb a balanced system, it will react to fix that disturbance.

For example, if you change how much of the reactants or products you have, heat things up, or change the pressure, the balance will shift to restore order.

So, how do these two ideas connect?

Catalysts speed up both the forward and reverse reactions equally, but they don’t change where the balance is.

Instead, they help the system get back to that balance faster after something has changed.

Think of it like having a helpful friend who makes everything happen quickly without changing the final result!