Collision Theory and Catalysts Flashcards
What is the activation energy?
The minimum amount of energy needed by the particles to react.
What is a catalyst?
A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a reaction, without being changed or used up in the reaction.
What does a solid catalyst do?
It increases the surface area, which means that there are more collisions so there is a faster reaction time.
Why do catalysts reduce costs in industrial reactions? (2 reasons)
They increase the rate of reaction, so it saves money as the plant doesn’t have to run for as long. Also, it lowers the activation energy, so this will reduce the cost as it can run at a lower temperature for a shorter amount of time.
What are some disadvantages of catalysts? (3 points)
1) they can be expensive to buy, but once you do buy them they can be used again and again
2) different reactions need different catalysts, so new ones need to be bought
3) they can get ‘poisoned’ by impurities and stop working, so new ones will need to be bought
