The presence of a catalyst significantly increases the reaction rate of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. A catalyst is a substance that lowers the activation energy required for a chemical reaction to occur, thus speeding up the reaction without being consumed in the process.In the case of hydrogen peroxide H2O2 decomposition, the reaction can be slow at room temperature. However, when a catalyst is introduced, the reaction rate increases dramatically. Common catalysts used for this reaction include manganese dioxide MnO2 , potassium iodide KI , and catalase an enzyme found in living organisms .The catalyst provides an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy, allowing more molecules to have sufficient energy to react. As a result, the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water H2O and oxygen gas O2 occurs at a much faster rate when a catalyst is present. This can be represented by the following chemical equation:2 H2O2 2 H2O + O2In summary, the presence of a catalyst greatly enhances the reaction rate of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to proceed.