(Originais Teachy 2023) - Question Very Hard of Chemistry

Consider the thermal decomposition reaction of ammonium dichromate, (NH4)2Cr2O7, represented by the unbalanced equation: (NH4)2Cr2O7(s) -> Cr2O3(s) + N2(g) + 4H2O(g. This process is often used as a spectacular demonstration of an exothermic reaction that releases a large amount of nitrogen gas and water vapor. The reaction is highly dependent on the system's temperature. In an experiment, a chemist observes that, as the temperature increases, the reaction starts more quickly and the amount of nitrogen gas produced per second increases considerably. Based on this scenario and knowing the concepts of chemical kinetics, describe the influence of temperature on the reaction rate, considering how kinetics is affected by variations in activation energy and the energy distribution of ammonium dichromate molecules. Additionally, explain how a catalyst could alter the reaction steps by modifying the activation energy required for the formation of products, and discuss whether the presence of a catalyst would affect the amount of nitrogen gas produced per second, justifying your answer based on the principles of chemical kinetics and collision theory.