Shared catalyst property: regeneration without consumption

Steps:

• Define catalyst as a substance that accelerates specific reactions by alternative pathways without net change to itself.
• Evaluate A against definition: false, since catalysts target specific reactions only.
• Evaluate B: enzymes lower Ea directly, but metal catalysts like vanadium primarily enable surface reactions, not universally described as lowering Ea.
• Evaluate C: matches core definition for all catalysts, inorganic or biological.

Why C is correct:

• Catalysts, by definition, remain unchanged and are regenerated at reaction end, per standard chemical kinetics (no net consumption).

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Catalysts accelerate only specific reactions, not any chemical reaction.
• B: Lowering activation energy applies mainly to enzymes like pepsin; vanadium as a heterogeneous metal catalyst works via adsorption on its surface.
• D: Not enough information.

Final answer: C