Which reaction process occurs when a catalyst is added?

When a catalyst is added to a reaction, it provides an alternative pathway for the reaction to occur that has a lower activation energy compared to the uncatalyzed reaction. This reduction in activation energy means that more reactant molecules have enough energy to overcome the energy barrier and react, leading to an overall decrease in the time required for the reaction to complete.

As a result, the presence of a catalyst speeds up the reaction without being consumed in the process. The catalyst achieves this by facilitating the formation of an intermediate state, which then leads to products more efficiently. However, it does not necessitate a higher activation energy, consume itself during the reaction, or inherently increase the temperature of the reaction mixture. Rather, it simply allows the reaction to proceed more quickly at the same temperature.