Chemistry -rates of reaction-catalysts

Rates of reaction Catalysts
Catalysts act by lowering the activation energy required to break the chemical bonds in the reactants. Catalysts can significantly increase the rate of reaction without an increase in temperature or concentration of reactants. During chemical reactions the catalyst is not used up. Two types of catalysts exist organic and inorganic. Organic catalysts are better known as enzymes and their role is to catalyse and regulate specific reactions in living organisms. Inorganic catalysts are often metallic compounds with a high surface energy. This high surface energy assists in the breaking of chemical bonds present in the reactant molecules. Click to see a simple animation
	An organic catalyst has a small portion of its surface with a special shape. This part of the surface is known as the active site. The active site holds hte reactant molecules in a certain orientation that makes them vulnerable to bond breaking during mild collisions. This decreases the amount of energy (temperature) required to break the chemical bonds.
The reaction on the right is identical to the one animated above but with the notable absence of a catalyst. Note how there is insuffiecient energy to break chemical bonds and initiate the reaction.
An excellent demonstration of a reaction that is accelerated by the introduction of an inorganic catalyst is the serpent. Continue