catalyst: a substance that changes the speed of a chemical reaction without affecting the yield or undergoing permanent chemical change*
As you can see NO (nitrogen monoxide) did not undergo a permanent change.
*http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/gloss/catalyst.html
Lance,
Thank you for your prompt response. I know the definition of catalyst, but I am having trouble figuring out how to find the catalyst in a reaction.
Sarah: If one started with NO, and ended with NO, it was unchanged in the reaction. NO is the catalyst.
Sarah,
To help you further with identifying a catalyst in a chemical reaction, consider the following steps:
1. Look at the reactants (the molecules involved in the beginning of the reaction) and compare them to the products (the molecules resulting from the reaction).
2. If a substance appears in both the reactants and the products without any difference in its chemical structure, it is likely a catalyst.
For example, in this reaction:
A + B + NO -> AB + NO
You can see that NO is part of both the reactants and the products, and it does not undergo any chemical change. So, in this case, NO is the catalyst in the reaction, as it is helping A and B to form AB without itself going through any permanent change.
Hi Sarah,
I understand your confusion. Identifying the catalyst in a reaction can sometimes be tricky, but there are a few strategies you can use to figure it out.
1. Look for a substance that appears in the reactants and the products unchanged. This is often a clue that the substance is a catalyst. In this case, you started with NO and ended with NO, so it suggests that NO could be the catalyst.
2. Check if there are any other substances involved in the reaction that undergo a permanent chemical change. Catalysts are known for speeding up reactions without undergoing any permanent change themselves. So, if you see other substances being transformed, they are likely not the catalyst.
3. Review any experimental evidence or information provided about the reaction. Sometimes, the presence of a catalyst is explicitly mentioned in the reaction conditions or the description of the reaction.
In your case, based on the information you shared, it seems that NO fits the criteria of a catalyst. It is not permanently changed and appears in the reactants and products without any alteration.
Remember that identifying the catalyst may require further analysis, especially in more complex reactions. It's always helpful to consider the reaction conditions, experimental observations, and any additional information provided to make an accurate determination.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.