Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry · Syllabus 0620 · Chemical Reactions
Catalysis and Activation Energy
What is Catalysis and Activation Energy?
The Supplement account of how a catalyst works. A catalyst provides an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy, so at the same temperature a greater fraction of colliding particles has energy at least equal to that lower barrier. The frequency of successful collisions rises without any change in temperature, while the enthalpy change of the reaction is unaltered.
This definition is part of the Chemical Reactions chapter in Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry.