Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
How do enzymes increase the rate of chemical reactions?
A
By providing additional reactants for the reaction
B
By increasing the temperature of the reaction
C
By changing the equilibrium position of the reaction
D
By lowering the activation energy required for the reaction
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed in the process.
Recognize that enzymes work by lowering the activation energy of a reaction, which is the energy barrier that must be overcome for reactants to be converted into products.
Visualize the energy profile of a reaction with and without an enzyme. The presence of an enzyme lowers the peak of the energy barrier, making it easier for the reaction to proceed.
Note that enzymes achieve this by stabilizing the transition state, which is a high-energy, unstable state that occurs during the conversion of reactants to products.
Remember that while enzymes lower the activation energy, they do not change the overall equilibrium position of the reaction; they only make it reach equilibrium faster.