3.21C: Understand Why a Catalyst Does Not Affect the Position of Equilibrium in a Reversible Reaction

CATALYST: A Substance that Increases the Rate of a Reaction, but is Chemically Unchanged at the End of the Reaction

POSITION OF EQUILIBRIUM: Position where rate of forward reaction is equal to rate of backward reaction

s
s

EFFECT OF CATALYST ON EQUILIBRIUM POSITION:

s

• Catalyst will not affect the position of equilibrium as it provides an alternative pathway requiring lower activation energy for both forward and backward reactions, therefore increasing the rate of forward and backward reaction by the same amount
• As a Result, the concentration of reactants and products is nevertheless the same at equilibrium as it would be without the catalyst

s

Diagram:

Diagram showing the Effect of Catalyst on Equilibrium Position