Catalysts don't

Catalysts don't

• A. Spontaneity or shift chemical reaction (correct)
• B. Change the temperature of the reaction
• C. Alter the products formed
• D. Change the pressure required

Answer: (A)

Catalysts work by changing the rate, not the thermodynamics, of a reaction. They provide an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy, so both forward and reverse reactions proceed faster. But this speeds up reaching equilibrium without changing the overall energy change (ΔG) or the equilibrium constant. In other words, a catalyst makes the reaction happen more quickly but doesn’t alter whether it is spontaneous or where the equilibrium lies, so it doesn’t alter the products formed or the conditions like pressure in a way that shifts the outcome.

Catalysts work by changing the rate, not the thermodynamics, of a reaction. They provide an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy, so both forward and reverse reactions proceed faster. But this speeds up reaching equilibrium without changing the overall energy change (ΔG) or the equilibrium constant. In other words, a catalyst makes the reaction happen more quickly but doesn’t alter whether it is spontaneous or where the equilibrium lies, so it doesn’t alter the products formed or the conditions like pressure in a way that shifts the outcome.