L3 - Catalysis and Reaction Rates

Chemists use catalysts to accelerate a reaction by lowering activation complex, reducing the E_a required to begin the reaction.

Read pages 535 - 538 in your textbook

There are many uses for catalysts, including accelerating reactions to reach an intermediate stability.  Once at that intermediate stability, another catalyst can be used to help the reaction reach another intermediate stability, and so.  Eventually, the catalysts will help the reaction reach a desired result.

Read  pages 538-539 in your textbook on Catalysis and the Nature of Science

Petroleum Industry

The petroleum industry also has many uses for catalysts.  Often the crude oil being extracted from the ground is not in the desired form for sale.   For example, Platinum (Pt) and/or Palladium (Pd) can be used in a process called catalytic reforming to turn naphtha into high octane hydrocarbons (gasoline).

Read pages 539-540 in your textbook  on the Oil Industry and Bitumen from Oil Sands

Automotive Industry

Often when a reaction takes place, there are by-products that are undesirable.   A catalyst can be introduced as the by-product is collected so that the by-product is able to react and become something not so dangerous.   For example, all automobiles have catalytic converters that take in the dangerous HC, CO, and NOx gases and converter them into less dangerous CO₂, N₂, and H₂O.

Read the rest of page 540 in your textbook on Emissions Control.

Click here to see the science behind a catalytic converter.

In Biology

In Biology, catalysts are often referred to as enzymes since there are many biological catalysts that are used to control many processes.

Read page 541 in your textbook on Enzymes

Click here to see the science behind enzymes in biology.