Addition of a catalyst can speed up a reaction by providing an alternate reaction pathway that has a

Addition of a catalyst can speed up a reaction by providing an alternate reaction pathway that has a lower activation energy

Explanation:

A catalyst is an agent that increases the rate of a chemical reaction by providing an alternate pathway for the reaction that requires a lower activation energy. As the requirement for activation energy is less in the presence of a catalyst, there are more reactant particles becoming involved in the chemical reaction and as such there are more products formed per unit time, or there is an increase in the rate of the reaction

Example of catalyst include

1. Addition of potassium permanganate to hydrogen peroxide to aid in the rapid decomposition into water and oxygen

2. Platinum serves as a catalyst in the complete combustion of carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide.