Question detail
Why do catalysts increase the rate of reaction?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
MCQ
Type
practice
Style
Topic
Rate of reaction
Question
- A. They provide a pathway with higher activation energy.
- B. They are consumed in the reaction.
- C. They provide a pathway with lower activation energy.
- D. They increase the temperature of the reaction.
Answer
They provide a pathway with lower activation energy.
Explanation
The correct answer is They provide a pathway with lower activation energy.. This answer directly addresses the question: Why do catalysts increase the rate of reaction? It matches the approved Chemistry 8462 learning objective and the linked subtopic. The other options are incorrect because they either change the rate, catalyst, reversible reaction, equilibrium, or graph context, or they do not answer the exact point being tested.
Common mistake
Misattributing increased rate to more collisions only
Students often think that a higher concentration or temperature always speeds up a reaction simply because there are more collisions, ignoring that the collisions must also have sufficient energy.
Explain that collision theory requires both a higher collision frequency *and* a higher proportion of collisions with energy ≥ activation energy; students should describe how temperature raises particle speeds, increasing both frequency and the fraction of energetic collisions, and how concentration or pressure increases frequency but not necessarily energy per collision.
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