a chemical that speeds up the rate of a reaction without itself being used up

a biological catalyst that speeds up reactions in living things

when atoms are rearranged to make new products and changes can be observed e.g. bubbles of gas forming

Catalysts

Science

In the Using Earth's Resources unit, pupils will build on their knowledge of materials to explore the extraction and purification of metals, life cycle assessments, and recycling.

In the Acids and Bases unit, pupils learned about the properties of acids, bases, alkalis, and the neutralisation reaction.

Materials

Some substances simply do not react with each other, e.g. platinum and water. In others you can see a spontaneous reaction but it is very slow: e.g. {{}} of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen.

Metals and metal salts are good catalysts. This is not just because there are so many metals. They have specific characteristics, or {{}}, that make them so suitable as catalysts.

CO, C and NOx are toxic to the environment, including humans.

A catalytic converter efficiently converts unwanted combustion products (e.g. CO, C, NOx) into CO$$_2$$ and N$$_2$$. Why are these two gases preferred over the other substances?

H$$_2$$O$$_2$$ is harmful (and H$$_2$$O and O$$_2$$ are not).

Living cells can use the catalyst for other reactions too.

The spontaneous reaction is far too slow.

Why do living cells bother changing hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen, and why do they use a catalyst?

a chemical that speeds up rate of a reaction without being used up

when atoms are rearranged, and changes can be observed e.g. bubbles

type of reaction when a reactant breaks down into two or more products

Match the following key terms to their definition.

Only the correctly shaped key will open the lock.

Only the correctly shaped substrate will fit the active site.

The lock can be used many times and so can the enzyme.

The lock represents the enzyme; the key represents the substrate.

Why is the lock and key model a good model of an enzyme?

When magnesium reacts with acid, hydrogen gas is produced which we can collect in a test tube. To test if it is hydrogen, we hold a burning splint to the test tube and hear a {{}}.

Some metals, like gold and platinum, are found in their native state in nature, and nothing much happens when other chemicals are added. We call these metals very {{}}.

The higher the position of a metal in the reactivity series, the more {{}} it is likely to react.

The thermite reaction needs a bit of input of energy before it starts, but then releases energy and is so {{}} that it can weld railway lines.

Some reactions are slow, whereas other reactions are much faster. Hydrogen and oxygen do not react with each other spontaneously. What would it need to make them react?

Metal A is more reactive than metal B. What type of reaction would take place if metal A is added to a solution of a salt of metal B?

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Catalysts

Lesson outcome

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.