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15.12: The Path of a Reaction and the Effect of a Catalyst

  • Page ID
    47590
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    The addition of a catalyst to an equilibrium system is a final stress factor. We consider how adding a catalyst affects the following:

    \[\ce{N_2(g) + O_2(g) \leftrightharpoons 2NO(g)} \nonumber \]

    Adding a catalyst to this, or any other equilibrium system, will not affect the position of an equilibrium. A catalyst speeds up both the forward and the reverse reactions, so there is no uneven change in reaction rates. Generally, a catalyst will help a reaction to reach the point of equilibrium sooner, but it will not affect the equilibrium otherwise.


    15.12: The Path of a Reaction and the Effect of a Catalyst is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Marisa Alviar-Agnew & Henry Agnew.