HOME＞Experiments＞For Kitchen＞EH014 Oxygen Generation
When hydrogen peroxide is reacted with dry yeast, oxygen is released. Let’s collect the oxygen that comes out.
Oxygen is a highly flammable substance. You should never bring it close to fire without caution. In the worst case, it can lead to an explosion or fire.
Requires
equipments
・empty plastic bottle×2
・bottle cap that a straw can be inserted
・aquarium tube
reagents
・3% hydrogen peroxide solution
・dry yeast
・incense stick
Methods
1.
Pass a tube through the bottle cap. Seal the small air hole on the bottle cap with tape.
2.
Fill a suitable container with water and place a full plastic bottle upside down in it.
3.
Fill another plastic bottle with 100 mL of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, then squeeze the bottle to expel the air.
4.
Add 1 g of dry yeast to the bottle, then quickly attach the bottle cap from step 1 and insert the end of the tube into the upside-down plastic bottle filled with water.
5.
Try placing a lit incense stick inside a plastic bottle filled with oxygen!
Clearing
After the reaction, let the liquid sit for a while to cool down, then dispose of it in the sink.
Principle
Hydrogen peroxide is broken down by the enzyme catalase present in dry yeast, producing water and oxygen. Alternatively, manganese dioxide (MnO₂) can also be used in place of dry yeast to decompose hydrogen peroxide.
Chemical reactions typically follow the pattern “A + B → C + D” or “A + B → C,” where the types of compounds change before and after the reaction. This means that the reactants (A and B) combine to form new products (C and D or just C).
However, in some cases, substances like enzymes that break down hydrogen peroxide or manganese dioxide (MnO₂) do not change during the reaction. These substances are called “catalysts.” A catalyst speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed or altered in the process.
In fact, the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide occurs naturally, but the process is quite slow. When a catalyst is added, the reaction takes place more rapidly because the catalyst helps facilitate the reaction, increasing its rate.
The catalytic effect that helps facilitate reactions offers benefits such as reducing reaction time and lowering the energy required for the reaction. This is particularly useful in the field of chemical industries. Currently, there is growing interest in developing catalysts with better performance, such as in the field of complex chemistry (e.g., organometallic complexes). These advancements continue to play a crucial role in improving the efficiency and sustainability of various chemical processes.