Year 10 Science · Unit 2 · Lesson 13
Challenge Worksheet
Learning Goals
Evaluate the claim
Someone claims…
"Catalysts are like magic, they make reactions faster for free, with no drawbacks. Since they're not used up, there's no cost and no trade-off. If scientists could find the right catalyst for every industrial process, we could run all chemical reactions at room temperature and save enormous amounts of energy. Any reaction can simply be sped up to any desired rate just by adding enough catalyst."
(a) What part of this claim is supported by the science you have learned? Identify the true aspects and provide at least TWO specific examples of catalysts in industry or biology.
(b) What is misleading or overstated in this claim? Identify at least THREE limitations of catalysts that the claim ignores (consider: cost, specificity, poisoning, temperature constraints for enzymes, thermodynamic limits).
(c) What evidence or extra information would you need to properly evaluate whether using a catalyst in a specific industrial process is beneficial? Suggest TWO specific things a chemical engineer would need to know.
1. The Haber process (N₂ + 3H₂ → 2NH₃) uses an iron catalyst and must operate at 400–500°C and high pressure. If catalysts make reactions faster "for free," why does the Haber process still require such extreme conditions? Explain using your knowledge of activation energy and equilibrium.
2. Catalytic converter platinum can be "poisoned" by lead in petrol, permanently destroying its function. How does this demonstrate that catalysts have limitations, and what was the real-world response in Australia (hint: lead-free fuel)?
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?