A catalyst

Question

A catalyst

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A catalyst lowers the activation energy of a reaction, which allows the reaction to proceed more quickly. As a result, option B (lowers the activation energy of a reaction and speeds up the reaction) is the correct choice. Option A (lowers the activation energy of a reaction and slows down the reaction) is contradictory, as it suggests that the reaction is slowed down despite the activation energy being lowered. Option C (raises the activation energy of a reaction and slows down the reaction) is incorrect because a catalyst does not raise the activation energy of a reaction, and Option D (raises the activation energy of a reaction and speeds up the reaction) is incorrect for the same reason, as well as being contradictory.

A Catalyst