Biology / Unit 3 Bio 0500 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Catalysis Lowers Activation Energy
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The idea
A catalyst speeds a reaction by lowering its activation energy, without being consumed and without changing the reaction's overall free-energy change.
In practice
Heating a fuel to ignition supplies activation energy directly; a catalyst instead lowers how much energy the reaction needs in the first place.
Where people slip
Lowering activation energy changes how fast a reaction proceeds, never whether that reaction is exergonic or endergonic.
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