Which of the following best explains how a homogeneous catalyst affects the rate of a chemical reaction?
a) It provides additional energy to reactants in the form of heat, so a greater fraction of molecules can overcome the same activation energy barrier.
b) It offers an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy while leaving the overall enthalpy change (ΔH) unchanged.
c) It shifts the chemical equilibrium toward products, and the forward rate increases as a consequence.
d) It is consumed during the reaction, so the rate increases only until all of the catalyst has been used up.