A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy without itself undergoing any change. Catalysts make it easier for the reactions to go to the products side, it makes it go a lot faster. Some reactants don't have enough energy to make it over the uncatalyzed reaction pathway, so when a catalyst makes a new reaction pathway more reactants go to the products side, with out …showed first 75 words of 745 total…

…showed last 75 words of 745 total…engine. First widely introduced on series production automobiles in the US market for the 1975 model year to comply with tightening EPA regulations on auto exhaust, catalytic converters are still most commonly used in motor vehicle exhaust systems. Catalytic converters are also used on generator sets, forklifts, mining equipment, trucks, buses, trains, and other engine equipped machines. A catalytic converter provides an environment for a chemical reaction wherein toxic combustion byproducts are converted to less-toxic gases.