An enzyme increases the rate of a chemical reaction through which one of the following effects?
Enzymes increase the rate with which substrates are conveed to products. They work by decreasing the free energy of the transition state. That is, they provide an alternate reaction pathway with a lower free energy of activation (i.e., the amount of energy required to form a high-energy intermediate that is involved in generating the product). The free energies of the substrates and the products are not altered. Because the energies of the initial state and the final state are not changed, the free energy change is not altered. The equilibrium of the reaction also remains unchanged.
Decreasing the free energy of the substrate
Increasing the free energy of the product
Decreasing the free energy of the transition state
Shifting the equilibrium of the reaction toward the product