While researching chemical reaction rates, a student has taken the following notes:
- For a reversible reaction, equilibrium conversion is the percentage of reactants converted once the forward and reverse reaction rates balance.
- A catalyst lowers activation energy and can increase reaction rate without changing equilibrium conversion at a fixed temperature.
- Researchers prepared two identical reactant mixtures at the same temperature and added a catalyst to one mixture.
- The catalyzed mixture reached 70% conversion in 20 minutes, whereas the uncatalyzed mixture took 180 minutes to reach 70% conversion.
- After six hours, both mixtures stabilized at 72% conversion.
- A separate trial conducted at a higher temperature stabilized at 80% conversion.
The student wants to explain how the results show that the catalyst affected reaction rate but not equilibrium conversion. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?