What is a catalyst?
A catalyst changes the rate of a reaction without being consumed overall.
How it works and key principles
How it works: A catalyst can provide a pathway with lower activation energy. It may participate in temporary intermediates but is regenerated during the catalytic cycle. A faster reaction does not mean the equilibrium composition has changed; forward and reverse processes may both be affected.
Evidence, examples and limits
Examples and limits: Enzymes are biological catalysts; industrial catalysts assist manufacturing and emission control. They work under particular conditions and can lose activity through contamination or heat. A catalyst cannot make a thermodynamically unfavorable overall transformation proceed on its own.
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