The addition of a catalyst to the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide significantly increases the rate of the reaction. A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process. It achieves this by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur, allowing more molecules to react and form products in a shorter amount of time.In the case of hydrogen peroxide H2O2 decomposition, the reaction can be slow at room temperature. However, when a catalyst such as manganese dioxide MnO2 , potassium iodide KI , or catalase an enzyme found in living organisms is added, the rate of decomposition increases dramatically. The catalyst provides an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy, allowing the hydrogen peroxide to break down more quickly into water H2O and oxygen gas O2 .The overall reaction for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is:2H2O2 2H2O + O2By increasing the rate of this reaction, the catalyst helps to release oxygen gas more quickly, which can be useful in various applications, such as oxygen generation, disinfection, and waste treatment.