The Venn diagram shown below compares the nuclear reactions in the sun and nuclear power plants. Picture shows two ovals which overlap in the middle. The oval on the left has the label 'Sun' on top and 'Combining of atoms' within it. The oval on the right has the label 'Nuclear power plants' on top and 'Splitting of atoms' within it. The overlapping portion has the label P inside it.

Which of the following best describes the process labeled P?

Absorption of radioactive material
Cooling of reacting atoms
Production of water
Release of energy

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it provides an alternative energy pathway for the reaction to proceed.

a catalyst is a substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction but is not consumed during the course of the reaction.

catalysts increase the rate of reaction without being used up. they do this by lowering the activation energy needed. with a catalyst, more collisions result in a reaction, so the rate of reaction increases. different reactions need different catalysts.

a catalyst works by providing an alternative reaction pathway to the reaction product. the rate of the reaction is increased as this alternative route has a lower activation energy than the reaction route not mediated by the catalyst.