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CATALYSTS SPEED IT UP
A catalyst is like adding a bit of magic to a reaction. Reactions need a certain amount of energy to happen. If they don't have it, oh well, the reaction probably can't happen. A catalyst lowers the amount of energy needed so that a reaction can happen easier. A catalyst is about energy; it doesn't have to be another molecule. If you fill a room with hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, very little will happen. If you light a match in that room (or just a spark), all of the hydrogen and oxygen will combine to create water molecules. It is an explosive reaction.
The energy needed to make a reaction happen is called the activation energy. As everything moves around, energy is needed. The energy a reaction needs is usually in the form of heat. When a catalyst is added, something special happens. Maybe a molecule shifts it's structure. Maybe that catalyst makes two molecules combine and they release a ton of energy. That extra energy might help another reaction to occur. In our earlier example, the spark added the activation energy. 
Catalysts are also used in the human body, not to cause explosions but to make very difficult reactions happen. They help very large molecules combine. There is another interesting fact about catalysts. Catalysts lower the activation energy required for a reaction to occur. With the activation energy lower, the products can also combine more easily. Therefore, the forward and reverse reactions are both accelerated. It helps both reactions. INHIBITORS SLOW IT DOWN
There is also something called an inhibitor that works exactly the opposite of catalysts. Inhibitors slow the rate of reaction. Sometimes they even stop the reaction completely. You might be asking, "Why would anyone need those?" You could use an inhibitor to make the reaction slower and more controllable. Without them, some reactions could keep going and going and going. If they did, all of the molecules would be used up. That would be bad, especially in your body.
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Go for site help or a list of chemistry topics at the site map!©copyright 1997-2009 Andrew Rader Studios, All rights reserved. Current Page: Chem4Kids.com | Reactions | Catalysts and Inhibitors |
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