catalyst and A

[Shreya Patel- 2D]

Hi guys,

In the lecture, Professor Lavelle said something about A being affected by a catalyst. Does this only work when the catalyst is an enzyme? What exactly is the relationship between A and a catalyst? Can anyone please explain?

Thanks!

[Sophia Stewart 3F]

I know that he said that some catalysts put reactants in the correct orientation for collision, which would increase the value of A. I do not know if all catalysts do this, however.

[Becca Nelson 3F]

I do not think we will have to worry too much about this on the exam, but I do think catalysts increase the value of A (in some cases). A is primarily impacted by molecule orientation, so if 2 molecules have to collide on specific planes for each molecules, the value of A will be fairly small like 0.1. This means 10% of collisions with enough energy occur because the other 90% are not in the correct orientation. Enzymes have induced fit capabilities that can orient the substrates correctly so there would be a better chance of a successful reaction. I think specifics vary with both substrates and reactions, but catalysts do have the power to increase A.