Air Force Officer Qualifying Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive Exam Prep

Substances that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed in the process are known as catalysts. Catalysts work by lowering the activation energy required for a reaction to occur, thereby increasing the rate at which the reaction takes place. They facilitate the formation of transition states and help reactants come together in a more favorable arrangement, resulting in a faster reaction. Importantly, after the reaction has taken place, the catalyst remains unchanged and can be used repeatedly in multiple reactions, which is a crucial defining characteristic.

In contrast, inhibitors are substances that slow down or obstruct chemical reactions, and reagents refer to substances that are present at the start of a reaction and are transformed during the process. While enzymes serve as biological catalysts, their specific nature is tied to biochemical reactions, making them a subset of catalysts rather than the general term for all substances that increase reaction rates.