catalyst's effect on equilibrium

[Neha Gupta 2A]

Is it correct to say that adding a catalyst would not change the state of a reaction at equilibrium? And if so, why is that?

[Claire_Latendresse_1E]

I think that's correct! The catalyst speeds up the forward reaction by lowering the activation energy, but it also speeds up the reverse reaction by lowering its activation energy by the same factor. The catalyst wouldn't affect equilibrium because its forward and reverse effects would "cancel out."

[Gicelle Rubin 1E]

I think that's correct! The catalyst speeds up the forward reaction by lowering the activation energy, but it also speeds up the reverse reaction by lowering its activation energy by the same factor. The catalyst wouldn't affect equilibrium because its forward and reverse effects would "cancel out."

Thank you for explaining! I was also wondering the same thing.

[Brian Acevedo 2E]

Catalysts change the pathway of a reaction by lowering the activation energy (E_a) but do not change anything fundementally about the physical reactions that take place. This means that the ratio of product concentration to reactant concentration at equilibrium would not be changed either since both the forward and reverse reaction rates would be increased by the same amount as a result of the addition of a catalyst.

[Jarrett Sung 3B]

Nothing really changes about the reaction other than the activation energy: the energy needed for the reaction to proceed. The state of the reaction wouldn't change.

[YuditGaribay3J]

It just goes back to the definition of a catalyst where all it does is lower the activation energy of the reaction, but should not change anything else about it.

[Rachael Cohen 3G]

Catalysts lower the activation energy of both the forward and reverse reaction, so equilibrium would not change.

[Diana Aguilar 3H]

A catalyst only lowers the activation energy of a reaction, so it should have no affect on equilibrium or anything else.

[IshanModiDis2L]

A catalyst only lowers the activation energy required. It can speed up the forward reaction by lowering the activation energy, but it would equally speed up the reverse with them ending up cancelling each other out.

[Muskaan Abdul-Sattar]

A catalyst would just lower the activation energy of a reaction.