I’ve asked this question to multiple teachers and googled it multiple times only to hear “yeah if you put a catalyst in a chemical it reacts faster” but I want to know what the catalyst actually does to do this
In: Chemistry
There are many types of catalysts, but generally, the catalyst will react with the reactant(s) in such a way that it “destabilizes” them and makes them more likely to react with each other. Molecules that are destabilized require less energy to react (in other words, this lowers the activation energy).
Here is a very basic catalysis:
https://www.chemistrysteps.com/acid-catalyzed-hydration-of-alkenes-practice-problems/#:~:text=Acid%2DCatalyzed%20hydration%20is%20the,cannot%20protonate%20the%20double%20bond.
The acid is sufficiently reactive to attack the double bond, which then causes the formation of a more reactive (i.e., less stable) carbocation. This carbocation is then able to participate in the desired reaction. At the end, the H+ is regenerated, so you have your catalyst back. It’s worth noting that this is not the same H+ that started the reaction, but because you started with an H+ and finish with an H+, it’s considered to be the catalyst of the reaction.
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