Catalysts

[705984992]

Catalysts speeding up the forward reaction makes sense, but I'm a little unsure on how it also speeds up the reverse reaction. Is it still the same process as speeding up the forward reaction but backwards?

[marina niland 3b]

Catalysts alter the reaction profile by creating a lower activation energy.

If you analyze a reaction profile, if the peak indicated by the activation energy is lower, it lowers it for both the forward and reverse rate, since the overall reaction profile can show both directions of a reaction.

This is why catalysts speed up both the reverse and forward reaction, because it takes less energy for the reaction to occur in both directions, and if it takes less energy, it will be faster.

[006248274]

So if you look at the reaction mechanism when adding a catalyst, you see that it's added to the products side as well as the reactants side. Meaning that its going to impact the reverse rate and the forward rate equally, because it is in both the reverse direction and the forward direction.- Hope that made sense!

[marina niland 3b]

Catalysts alter the reaction profile by creating a lower activation energy.

If you analyze a reaction profile, if the peak indicated by the activation energy is lower, it lowers it for both the forward and reverse rate, since the overall reaction profile can show both directions of a reaction.

This is why catalysts speed up both the reverse and forward reaction, because it takes less energy for the reaction to occur in both directions, and if it takes less energy, it will be faster.

[marina niland 3b]

Catalysts alter the reaction profile by creating a lower activation energy.

If you analyze a reaction profile, if the peak indicated by the activation energy is lower, it lowers it for both the forward and reverse rate, since the overall reaction profile can show both directions of a reaction.

This is why catalysts speed up both the reverse and forward reaction, because it takes less energy for the reaction to occur in both directions, and if it takes less energy, it will be faster.