Which of the following is true about catalysts?

The statement that catalysts lower the energy needed for a reaction is fundamentally correct. Catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions by providing an alternative pathway for the reaction with a lower activation energy. This means that less energy is required for the reactants to be converted into products, making the reaction proceed more quickly without raising the overall temperature.

This property of catalysts is crucial in various biological and industrial processes. For example, enzymes, which are biological catalysts, facilitate essential biochemical reactions in living organisms at lower temperatures and energy levels than would otherwise be possible.

In contrast, catalysts are not consumed in the reaction, nor do they change into products or directly influence the reaction temperature. Their role is to enhance the speed of the reaction without being permanently altered, thereby allowing them to be used repeatedly. This is a key feature that distinguishes them from other substances involved in chemical reactions.