Question

other than using a catalyst, how can a reaction be sped up?

Explanation:

According to the collision theory, increasing the temperature gives reactant particles more kinetic energy, making them move faster and collide more frequently and with greater energy. For gaseous reactions, increasing pressure (which is equivalent to increasing concentration for gases) means there are more reactant particles in a given volume, so the frequency of collisions increases. In solutions, increasing the concentration of reactants means more particles are present per unit volume, leading to a higher collision frequency. For solid reactants, increasing the surface area (by breaking them into smaller pieces) exposes more particles to the reaction environment, increasing the chance of collisions.

Answer:

Increase the temperature, increase the pressure (for gaseous reactions), increase the concentration (in solutions), or increase the surface area (of solid reactants).