Question

The magnitude of decreases in the presence of a catalyst.

Short answer

Answer: The presence of a catalyst affects the magnitude of reactants and products by increasing the reaction rate, which results in reactants being used up more quickly and products being formed more rapidly. This leads to a faster decrease in the concentration of reactants and a faster increase in the concentration of products within the chemical reaction.

Step-by-step solution

1. Introduction to catalysts

A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed or changed by the reaction itself. Catalysts work by providing an alternative pathway for the reaction, which has a lower activation energy. Lower activation energies mean more reactant molecules have enough energy to form transition states, so the reaction rate increases.

2. Understand the role of activation energy

Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required for a reaction to proceed. In a chemical reaction, the reactants need to overcome this energy barrier to form products. Catalysts help to lower this activation energy barrier, making it easier for the reactants to form products and increase the reaction rate.

3. Describe how catalysts lower activation energy

Catalysts lower the activation energy of a reaction by providing an alternative pathway for the reaction to occur. They do this by forming temporary bonds with the reactant molecules, stabilizing the transition state, and allowing it to form with lower energy input. This increases the number of reactant molecules that have enough energy to form the transition state, which leads to an increase in the reaction rate.

4. Explain the effect of catalysts on reaction rate

Catalysts affect the reaction rate by increasing the rate at which reactants are converted into products. Since catalysts lower the activation energy, more reactant molecules can successfully form products. This leads to a faster reaction rate, meaning that the reactants are used up more quickly, and products are formed more rapidly.

5. Discuss the decrease in magnitude in the presence of a catalyst

With the presence of a catalyst, the reaction rate is increased, making the reactants be used up more quickly and forming products more rapidly. Therefore, the magnitude, or concentration, of reactants will decrease more quickly over time due to the faster reaction rate. Conversely, the magnitude (concentration) of products will increase more quickly over time. The net result is a decrease in the magnitude (concentration) of reactants and an increase in the magnitude (concentration) of products for the specified reaction in the presence of a catalyst.