Potential energy diagram with and without a catalyst

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Potential energy diagram of an exothermic reaction with a dashed catalysed path over a lower transition state, the activation energies of both paths marked, and a key — An exothermic reaction with and without a catalyst. The uncatalysed path, solid, rises to a transition state at 150 kJ/mol; the catalysed path, dashed, to one at 100 kJ/mol. Both start at the same reactants and end at the same products, so ΔH is the same, but the catalysed activation energy is 50 kJ/mol lower. A key under the graph names the two paths.

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Answer key

ΔH = −30 kJ/mol: exothermic
Eₐ (forward) = 100 kJ/mol
Eₐ (reverse) = 130 kJ/mol
Eₐ (catalysed) = 50 kJ/mol forward, 80 kJ/mol reverse: both 50 kJ/mol lower than uncatalysed; ΔH is the same

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