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How do catalysts work?

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Catalysts work by changing the activation energy for a reaction, i.e., the minimum energy needed for the reaction to occur. This is accomplished by providing a new mechanism or reaction path through which the reaction can proceed. When the new reaction path has a lower activation energy, the reaction rate is increased and the reaction is said to be catalyzed. If the activation energy for the new path is higher, the reaction rate is decreased and the reaction is said to be inhibited.

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