How does the addition of a catalyst affect a reversible reaction? A. It increases the activation energy of the forward reaction only. B. It decreases the activation energy of the forward reaction only. C. It increases the activation energy of both the forward and reverse reactions. D. It decreases the activation energy of both the forward and reverse reactions.

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How does the addition of a catalyst affect a reversible reaction? A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 7 - 2019 - Paper 1

Question 7

How does the addition of a catalyst affect a reversible reaction? A. It increases the activation energy of the forward reaction only. B. It decreases the activation... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:How does the addition of a catalyst affect a reversible reaction? A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 7 - 2019 - Paper 1

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D. It decreases the activation energy of both the forward and reverse reactions.

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When a catalyst is added to a reversible reaction, it serves to lower the activation energy for both the forward and reverse reactions. This does not change the overall energy change of the reaction but allows the system to reach equilibrium more quickly by facilitating both directions of the reaction pathway. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

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