Lesson Plan

Lesson: Catalysis

Aim :

To study the effect of catalysts on the rate of reaction and how they work.

Learning Outcomes :

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to :

1. explain the effect of catalysts on the rate of a reaction.

2. explain how catalysts work.

3. describe homogenous and heterogenous catalysis.

4. explain the characteristics of biological enzymes.

Assumed prior knowledge :

Students should already :

1. be familiar with energy profiles of exothermic and endothermic reactions

and the concept of activation energy.

2. be familiar with the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of molecular energies.

Underlying Principles

Enabling students to know what to look for.

Time taken to complete the activities : 80 minutes

Differentiation

Questions in the student notes are designed to enable all students to complete the activity.
The pop-up answers are provided for the students to view when they have considered their
responses. Worksheet questions include questions that require recall, understanding and
application of the new concepts learned.

© 2003 Ministry Of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. Page 1 of 5

Development of Lesson :

No. Steps Strategy Resources

1 Set Induction. • Teacher to quiz students to ensure that

(Ascertaining prior they have the prior knowledge.
knowledge and
introducing lesson • Teacher to introduce lesson objectives for
topic for the day). the day.

2 Student Activity Teacher to go through Activities 1 - 4 • Courseware

with the students.

• Activity 1 : Catalysts

Students get to view the energy profiles of

both catalysed and uncatalysed reactions
and compare the difference in their
activation energies.

• Activity 2 : Homogeneous catalysis

Students are shown how catalysts are
categorised as homogeneous and
heterogeneous catalysts. They also get
to view an animation of how Fe2+
catalyses the oxidation of I− by S2O82− .

• Activity 3 : Heterogeneous catalysis

Students get to view an animation of how

nickel catalyses the hydrogenation of
ethene to ethane.

• Activity 4 : Enzymes

Students get to investigate the

characteristics of enzymes, how they are
affected by a change in temperature and
pH.

3 Evaluation • Students to answer questions in the • Worksheet

student worksheet on their own.

4 Extension activity • Students to go through the extension • Websites

activities on their own. • Reference
books.

© 2003 Ministry Of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. Page 2 of 5

Worksheet Answers

1. Catalysts

1.1 a. ii. Q+R

b. A catalyst increases the rate of a reaction.

Energy

R
M

QQ

P
P

Reaction coordinate

From the graph above, the activation energy Q for the catalysed
reaction is less than the activation energy Q + R for the uncatalysed reaction.
Hence, a catalyst works by providing an alternative reaction route which has a
lower activation energy.

1.2 i. No effect.

ii. Increases the rate constant.

iii. Increases the rate of the reaction.

iv. No effect.

© 2003 Ministry Of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. Page 3 of 5

1.3

Number of molecules
with energy, E

Ea2 Ea1

Ea1 = activation energy of uncatalysed reaction.

Ea 2 = activation energy of catalysed reaction.

number of molecules having energy

greater than or equal to E a1 .
number of molecules having energy
greater than or equal to Ea2 .

The activation energy of the uncatalysed reaction is taken as E a1 The activation

energy is lowered to E a2 in the presence of a catalyst. The number of molecules
having energy equal to or greater than E a2 is larger than that of E a1 Hence, the
frequency of effective collisions is increased and the rate of reaction is higher.

2. Homogeneous catalysis

2.1 Homogenous catalysts are of the same phase as the reactants while heterogeneous
catalysts are not.

3. Heterogeneous catalysis

3.1 a. Oxidation

b. Heterogeneous catalyst. It is a different phase from the reactants.

c. The adsorption of the reactant molecules on the surface of the catalyst

serves to bring these molecules closer together. The formation of weak bonds
with the catalyst during adsorption also results in the weakening of bonds in
the reactant molecules.

© 2003 Ministry Of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. Page 4 of 5

4. Enzymes

4.1 a. The rate of reaction increases with an increase in temperature up to

a certain temperature. Beyond this temperature, the rate decreases.

b. Enzyme is a protein molecule which can easily be denatured by high

temperature.

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