KINETIC ANALYSIS OF THE DECOMPOSITION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

I. OBJECTIVES

To determine the rate constant, the activation energy and the rate law for the
reaction from the data obtained and analyzation of data

II. INTRODUCTION

The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide takes place according to the

reaction below.
2H2O2(l) 2H20(l) + O2(g)
A number of catalysts can be used to speed up this reaction, including
potassium iodide, manganese (IV) oxide, and the enzyme catalase. If you
conduct the catalyzed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in a closed
vessel, you will be able to determine the reaction rate as a function of
the pressure increase in the vessel that is caused by the production of
oxygen (O2) gas.
(about finding rate constant activation energy rate law)

III. MATERIALS AND METHODS

Gas Burette Experiment

MATERIALS USED
pipette (5 mL) -2 reservoir
gas burette iron stand
water bath iron clamp
reaction vessel timer
 REAGENTS USED:

H2O2: Clear odorless solution. Keep away from heat. Keep away from face,
skin, and eyes.

KI: Clear odorless solution. Keep away from skin, face and eyes. Keep this
solution well ventilated.

PROCEDURE
In a reaction vessel with two chambers, pipette 2 cm3 of hydrogen
peroxide solution into the first chamber. In the second chamber,
pipette 2 cm3 of the catalyst, potassium iodide solution. Be careful to
keep the components apart from each other to keep from reacting.
Connect the reaction vessel to the gas burette, clamp it very carefully.
Put the reaction chamber inside a water bath set at 35C. Wait some
time until the components are at 35C. Mix it together and
immediately start the clock. Color change will be observed which
indicates reaction and gas will be evolved
As the reaction proceeds, the gas will be evolved right up the tube
connecting to the reaction chamber going to the gas burette. Adjust
the levels with the reservoir to set zero on the volume.
Observe the change in volume. Be careful when the liquid on the left
hand raises up which will indicate a pressure applied to the volume of
gas and may lead to incorrect reading of the evolving gas volume. An
extra reservoir of liquid which can be lifted up or down so the level will
be maintained at the same level where we're making our reading. It
helps release the pressure and help get back to atmospheric pressure.
Take the reading both of the volume evolved and the time when the
colored water on the left hand of the gas burette lowers up to the
exact level of the right hand. Continue to take other readings. Make
sure the levels are equal before taking the reading.
(insert gas burette experiment setup)

IV. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

V. CONCLUSION

The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is spontaneous; it would occur no matter

what over a period of time.
One way we can measure the change in the rate of the reaction is by using rate laws.
Rate laws are able to quantify the rate at which a reaction occurs; they are the basis of
studying the kinetics of chemistry. Rate laws are written in the form , where k is the rate
constant and the concentrations of A and B are raised to their coefficients power (in
elementary processes). The degree of the coefficient tells us the order of the reactant
for that particular rate law. This order signifies how much that reactant affects the rate of
the reaction. For example, if the order of the above reaction for A was 2 and the order
for B was 1, the reactant A would affect the rate more than the reactant B. We
determined experimentally that the order for both H 2O2 and I was 1. This means that the
concentration of both reactants affect the rate of the reaction equally. This follows in the
chemistry of catalysts, as if the concentration of the catalyst increases, there would be
more catalysts to speed up the reaction and the rate would increase.

VI. REFERENCES