What is the role of an enzyme or chemical catalyst in a chemical reaction?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. It provides an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy
- Step 1: A catalyst speeds up both forward and reverse reaction rates by lowering the activation energy barrier E_a. Step 2. It does NOT alter the thermodynamic equilibrium constant K, Gibbs free energy Delta G, or enthalpy Delta H. Answer: It provides an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy. Why not the others: It merely reduces the time required for the system to achieve chemical equilibrium.
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