What is the purpose of a catalyst?

Answer 1

Typically, a chemical reaction in a series of steps, with various intermediate products, which ultimately form the final products of the reaction.

A catalyst provides an alternate pathway for a reaction to occur. Typically, the catalyst will be involved in one of the "steps" that occur in the reaction, but is reformed before the completion of the reaction, so that the catalyst is not used up.

This alternate pathway generally allows the reaction to procede faster, as well as lower the activation energy.

Answer 2

In order for there to be a chemical reaction, you have to have enough activation energy. The only way to make the reaction occur is to add a catalyst, which reduces the amount of necessary activation energy needed. Enzymes are catalysts, for example.

Answer 3

A catalyst can speed up or slow down the rate of reaction by altering the activation energy of the system.

Answer 4

Simply spoken it speeds up the reaction of something.

See here for more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalyst

:P

Answer 5

Speed up the reaction. It lowers the activation energy.

Answer 6

To speed up chemical reactions.

Answer 7

a catalyst is whats needed to make change happen... think catapult in a figurative sense...

Answer 8

to speed a reaction up ( it isn't involved in the reaction though )

Answer 9

speeds up the rate of a chem. reaction.

Answer 10

Basically, it speeds up the metabolic breakdown of another chemical.