Surface Chemistry

The role of a catalyst is to change the activation energy of the reaction.

A catalyst achieves this by either increasing or decreasing the activation energy of the molecule. A catalyst aids in speeding up a reaction without getting self-consumed in thereaction. Catalysts can thus change the path of a reaction. Catalysts are classified into two types: Positive catalysts and Negative catalysts. Catalysts cause the molecules to react and make the wholereaction take place fasterand more efficiently. This effect is achieved by decreasing the activation energy.

• The positive catalysts increase the rate of reaction by decreasing activation energy.
• The negative catalysts decrease the rate of reaction by increasing the energy of activation.

Also Read: Chemical Kinetics