logo

Learning objective

Explain why catalysts do not change the position of equilibrium.

Read the explanation, check the common trap, then practise with flashcards and questions.

Start flashcardsTry practice questionsTopic hub

At a glance

0

Flashcards

0

Questions

Topic

Chemical equilibria, Le Chatelier's principle and Kc

Subtopic

Equilibrium and Le Chatelier's principle

Aqa A Level ChemistryPhysical chemistry

Study support

Understand this objective

Quick explanation

Explain why catalysts do not change the position of equilibrium

  • This point belongs to Chemical equilibria, Le Chatelier's principle and Kc, especially Equilibrium and Le Chatelier's principle.
  • You need to be able to explain why catalysts do not change the position of equilibrium.
  • The key ideas to know are position, equilibrium, and change.
  • Use the linked flashcards and practice questions to check recall, then practise applying the idea in an exam-style answer.

Key concepts

positionequilibriumchangecatalysts

Why it matters

This objective helps connect Equilibrium and Le Chatelier's principle to exam-style questions, flashcards, and revision notes for Chemical equilibria, Le Chatelier's principle and Kc.

Quick student answer

Which of the following statements correctly describes the effect of a catalyst on a chemical equilibrium?

Direct answer

A catalyst lowers the activation energy of both the forward and reverse reactions.

Key terms

  • Catalyst: A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.
  • Equilibrium constant (Kc): A numerical value that expresses the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium for a given reaction at a specific temperature.

Common trap

Confusing the effects of catalysts and changes in concentration.: Remember that catalysts do not change the position of equilibrium; they only speed up the rate at which equilibrium is reached.

Related questions

Try this as a practice card

3 linked

Question 1 of 3

Choose an answer, get feedback, then move sideways through the set.

0 of 1 attempted

Flashcard prompts

Flip through the key recall cards

3 cards

Flashcard 1 of 3

Press Space to flip, arrows to move

Revision tools

Choose how to practise

Back to topic hub
Flashcards0 linked cards
No objective-specific flashcards are cached for this page. Use the topic hub to revise the surrounding flashcards without triggering a frozen-subject DB fallback.Open topic hub
Practice Questions0 linked questions
No objective-specific practice questions are cached for this page. Use the topic question bank to practise nearby curriculum questions without weakening the egress guard.Open topic questions
Revision notestopic notes

Open the full topic revision notes when you are ready to review this objective in context.

Open revision notes

Related learning objectives