What is the role of catalysts in a chemical reaction?

Catalysts play a crucial role in chemical reactions by increasing the reaction rate without being consumed in the process. They provide an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy, which helps reactants convert into products more efficiently. This allows the reaction to occur faster than it would without the catalyst, enabling the reactants to overcome the energy barrier associated with the reaction more readily.

The effectiveness of a catalyst lies in its ability to facilitate the formation of the transition state, which is a temporary arrangement of atoms that occurs during the conversion of reactants into products. By lowering the activation energy, a greater proportion of reactants have the necessary energy to reach the transition state, thus speeding up the overall reaction.

This unique characteristic distinguishes catalysts from other substances involved in chemical reactions, such as reactants, which are consumed during the process. By facilitating reactions without undergoing permanent changes themselves, catalysts are able to be reused in subsequent reactions, making them key components in many industrial and biological processes.