Question

What is the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with potassium iodide?

Answers

GPT-4o mini
The reaction between hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and potassium iodide (KI) is an example of an oxidation-reduction reaction. In this reaction, hydrogen peroxide acts as an oxidizing agent while iodide ions (I⁻) from potassium iodide are oxidized to form iodine (I₂).

The overall reaction can be summarized as follows:

\[ \text{2 KI} + \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 + \text{2 H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow \text{2 KOH} + \text{I}_2 \]

In this reaction:
- Hydrogen peroxide oxidizes the iodide ions (I⁻) to iodine (I₂).
- The potassium ions (K⁺) remain as spectator ions.
- The reaction also produces water (H₂O) and can lead to the formation of potassium hydroxide (KOH) in non-acidic conditions.

This reaction is often used in laboratories for demonstrating redox reactions, and the formation of iodine can impart a characteristic brown color to the solution, which can be visually observed.

Related Questions