2008年5月23日 星期五

An explanation of how Catalyst work?

This is just an elaborated recap from my Chemistry class: To simplify the discussion, we assume only two reactants is to be react to produce a new product and water. And both reactants is in the form of a long rods(which has only two heads). Now these two reactants would react if mixed together. Increased the thermal energies of both would increase the chance of collision of the rods of reactant, therefore increase the chance of the reacting sides of the reactant to encounter the reacting side of the other reactant so reaction could take place. Therefore the key to increase the chance of the reacting sides of the reactant to encounter each other. How does Catalyst work?
It work by increase the chance of the reacting sides of the reactant to encounter each other since the Catalyst has affinity for both rods at the end which is not involved in the reaction. Thus directly exposing the reacting end of one rod of reactant to another reacting end of one rod of reactant. As compare to the case without Catalyst, there are only one fourth of a chance for the reacting end of one rod of reactant meet with reacting end of the rod of another reactant. Therefore the chance of reaction take place is dramatically increased. Where does the Catalyst to borrow the energy necessary to speed up the reaction?

Simple, it is the electromagnetic attraction of one site of Catalyst to the non-reacting end of the rod of one reactant in the left, and the electromagnetic attraction of one site of Catalyst to the non-reacting end of the rod of another reactant in the right. Consider the simplest case which Catalyst is in the middle of two reactants, two reactants would be attracted toward the Catalyst gradually until the two reacting ends of the rods of both reactant reach the middle, then the chemical reaction take place. Thus, in a sense, the reaction has borrowed energy from the electromagnetic fields of two reactants and the Catalyst in the form of kinetic energies of both reactants. Since the rate of reaction has increased as compared to the effect which the temperatures of both reactants are increased, therefore energies from electromagnetic fields of the both reactants and the Catalyst are extracted to speed up the reaction.
Catalyst is just one instance which energies of electromagnetic fields is playing the role of increasing/decreasing the rate of reaction of two reactant. We could similarly extend this idea to describe the process of how other non-rod like reactants is accelerated/decelerated by presence of Catalyst.

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