Lesson 8 of 8
Catalysts
Goal: Describe what a catalyst does.
A catalyst speeds up a chemical reaction, and it is not used up.
- It is still there at the end, unchanged, so it can be used again and again.
- Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen, but very slowly. With a catalyst the oxygen comes off fast. Add some washing-up liquid and you get this foam.
- A car has a catalytic converter in its exhaust. The catalyst inside helps harmful gases react to make less harmful ones.
- Enzymes are catalysts in living things. Enzymes in your gut speed up the digestion of food.
hydrogen peroxide → water + oxygen
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Key words in this lesson
Chemical reaction A change in which a new substance is made
Catalyst Speeds up a reaction and is not used up