What happens when you heat hydrogen peroxide?

Answer 1

I presume you want to heat the catalyst to activate it, but here is an experiment you can do at room temperature to answer your question about a catalyst and hydrogen peroxide. The amount of catalyst available to react is increased by dissolving it in water instead of by heating.

CAUTION: Perform this away from combustible materials and ignition sources (flame or spark)!

1. Cut a small potato (peeled or not) into little wedges.

2. Put the pieces in a blender with an equal volume of water.

3. Blend until liquified to a thin soupy consistency.

4. Pour into a medium or large measuring cup or glass bowl.

5. Add a splash of hydrogen peroxide.

Watch it produce a starchy foam containing oxygen!

You should gets lots of foam from a little hydrogen peroxide. Try adding more if the reaction stops quickly.

The potato contains a catalyst called catalase. It helps release oxygen from hydrogen peroxide, turning it quickly into water and oxygen. The bubbles last a long time because of (I think) the starch in the foam.

The best thing about this experiment is that it lets you "see" how much oxygen you make. Oxygen is colorless and odorless and would otherwise mix invisibly into the air.

Pure oxygen speeds up combustion reactions greatly. Be careful how you dispose of it.

Answer 2

The molecule is given enough energy to allow the chemical bonds to break, splitting it into hydrogen and oxygenatoms.

Answer 3

Catalysts do not react, they speed up the reaction. In this case, you are wondering what hyrdogen peroxide decomposes into. It decomposes into water and oygen.

Answer 4

Massive explosion