Name: Jivan Raghoo

Date: 18/04/12

Title: Planning and Design

Problem Statement: You went to the hairdresser to colour your hair and notice that the H2O2 was
kept in the refrigerator. Suggest a hypothesis for the storage of H2O2 and design an experiment to
test your hypothesis.

Hypothesis: The rate of decomposition of H2O2 is speed up when the H2O2 is exposed to light
and high temperatures.

Aim: To plan and design an experiment to determine how light and high temperatures affect the
rate of decomposition of H2O2.

Theory:

When exposed to sunlight or higher temperatures, hydrogen peroxide tends to decompose more
quickly as compared to not being exposed to sunlight and being exposed to lower temperatures.
It will lose the extra oxygen atom on each molecule giving water and oxygen gas.

2H2O2(aq) → 2H2O(l) + O2(g)

Therefore in order to stop this from happening hydrogen peroxide is generally supposed to be
stored in a relatively cool place and in an dark bottle so that no light can get through to the
hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide solutions (3-30%) are used for bleaching (eg: hair) and for wound cleaning.
Its value as an antiseptic is low but the evolution of oxygen when it comes into contact with
clotted blood helps to loosen dirt and assists in cleansing the wound. If the decomposition of the
hydrogen peroxide is taking too long, a Ferric Chloride catalyst can be used to speed up the
reaction to that the lab can be completed faster.

Apparatus & Materials:

 Electric water bath

 Test tubes (6)
 Syringe with plunger
 Delivery tube
 Stoppers with holes for delivery tube
 Conical flasks (2)
 Thermometer
 Stopwatch
Diagram:

Figure 1 showing the setup of apparatus to determine the effect of temperature on the rate of
decomposition of H2O2.

Procedure:

1. Adjust the temperature of the water in the water bath to 0°C.

2. Add 6 cm3 of H2O2 to a test tube and connect the delivery tube and the syringe as shown
in the diagram. Record the position of the plunger with respect to the markings on the
syringe.
3. Place the test tube into the water bath and start the stopwatch.
4. After 20 minutes, remove the test tube and record the new position of the plunger.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4, except adjust the temperature from 0°C to 10°C, then from 10°C to
20°C and so on until you get to 100°C.
6. A conical flask was filled with 8 cm3 of H2O2 and a delivery tube and syringe were
attached similar to the diagram. This setup was place in a dark cupboard for 20 minutes.
7. Step 6 was repeated instead placing the setup in an area where it is exposed to sunlight.
8. Record the initial and final distances of the plunger for steps 6 and 7.
Expected Results:

Table 1 showing the results recorded from the experiment to determine the effect of temperature
on the rate of decomposition of H2O2.

Temperatue/ °C Initial position of Final position of Distance moved

plunger/ plunger (final – initial)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100

Table 2 showing the results recorded from the experiment to determine the effect of light on the
rate of decomposition of H2O2.

Environment Initial position of Final position of Distance moved

plunger plunger (final – initial)
Absence of sunlight
sunlight present

Treatment of results:

Plot a graph of Temperature vs Distance moved.

Variables:

Manipulated variable:

 Temperature (for 1st experiment involving temperature change)

 Environment (for 2nd experiment involving presence of light)

Responding variable:

 Distance moved by plunger (for both experiments)

Constant

 Environment (1st experiment)

 Temperature (2nd experiment)

Limitations:

1. The amount of time was not enough for a sufficient amount of H2O2 to decompose.

Assumptions:

1. It is assumed that the H2O2 didn’t begin to decompose until the experiment began.

Precautions:

1. All readings are taken at eye level to avoid parallax errors.

References:

 Hill, Graham, and John Holman. Chemistry in Context. United Kingdom: Thomas
Nelson & Sons Ltd, 2000.