Question

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) readily decomposes to form water and oxygen gas: 2H2O2(aq) → 2H2O(l) + O2(g) What concentration of hydrogen peroxide would cause this reaction to proceed most quickly?

Answer 1

Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizer. When exposed to sunlight it quickly decomposes to form water and oxygen as given by the following equation.

2H2O2(aq) → 2H2O(l) + O2(g)

Hydrogen peroxide is commercially available as a 30% w/w solution, which is the concentration that would facilitate the above reaction. This implies that the concentration would be 30 g of H2O2 in 100 g of the solution.