Home > Chemistry > Decomposition Reactions

What does hydrogen peroxide spontaneously decompose into?

Answer 1

Noah Aldrich

Hydrogen peroxide spontaneously decomposes into water and oxygen.

The equation for the reaction is

#"2H"_2"O"_2 → "2H"_2"O" + "O"_2#

The rate of decomposition is slow at room temperature, but it increases with temperature.

The rate increases rapidly in the presence of catalysts such as #"MnO"_2# and #"KI"#.

Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizing agent. At low concentrations (3 %), it is used as a disinfectant and a bleach.

The UV light from the sun catalyzes the reaction.

If you leave hydrogen peroxide in a clear container in sunlight, it decomposes much faster.

That's why it's sold to the public in brown bottles.

At concentrations of 70 to 98+ %, it is used as an oxidizer for rocket fuel.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Owen Ambrose

Oxygen gas and water are produced spontaneously when hydrogen peroxide breaks down.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.