English National Curriculum - Science
Mission Objectives
Define the term activation energy
Identify the advantages of using catalysts in industrial reactions
Explain the effect of using a catalyst on activation energy
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Words and meanings to learn
enzyme
a biological catalyst made of protein; enzymes speed up reactions in living things without being used up
reaction profile
a diagram that shows how the energy of the reactants and products changes during a chemical reaction; it also shows the activation energy
activation energy
the minimum amount of energy that particles need to successfully react when they collide
catalyst
a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up or changed by the reaction; it allows the reaction to happen faster
alternate pathway
a different route that a reaction can take when a catalyst is used; this pathway has a lower activation energy, so the reaction happens more easily
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