A chemist finds that when platinum is added to a reaction, the reaction speeds up. He thinks the platinum may be acting as a catalyst. What measurement should the chemist make to determine whether it is a catalyst? (2 points)

Question

A chemist finds that when platinum is added to a reaction, the reaction speeds up. He thinks the platinum may be acting as a catalyst. What measurement should the chemist make to determine whether it is a catalyst? (2 points)
Group of answer choices

Measure the mass of the platinum before and after the reaction.

Measure the temperature of the solution before and after the reaction.

Measure the change in volume of the solution.

Measure the amount of gas released by the reaction.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

To determine whether the platinum is acting as a catalyst in the reaction, the chemist should measure the mass of the platinum before and after the reaction.

A catalyst is defined as a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process. Therefore, if the mass of the platinum remains unchanged before and after the reaction, it indicates that the platinum is likely acting as a catalyst.

The other options do not provide direct evidence of the catalytic behavior:

Measuring the temperature may identify changes in energy but does not confirm catalytic action.
Changes in volume or the amount of gas released provide information about the extent of the reaction but not whether the catalyst is consumed or remains unchanged.

Thus, the best measurement to determine if platinum is a catalyst is the mass measurement.