Question

Hydrogen peroxide decomposes into water & oxygen according to the following reaction. 2Hsmall2Osmall2>Water+Oxygen Based on the law of conservation of mass, which could be the product of the reaction?

Hsmall2O+Osmall2
2Hsmall2O+small2
4Hsmall2O+2Osmall2
2Hsmall2O+2Osmall2

Answers

GPT-4o mini
The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) can be represented by the balanced chemical equation:

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

According to the law of conservation of mass, the total mass of the reactants must equal the total mass of the products.

In the given reaction:
- 2 molecules of H₂O₂ decompose to produce 2 molecules of water (H₂O) and 1 molecule of oxygen (O₂).

Now let's analyze the options provided:

1. **H₂O + O₂**: This is not a balanced equation since it does not correspond to the stoichiometry of the decomposition reaction.

2. **2 H₂O + H₂**: This is also incorrect because hydrogen is not a product of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

3. **4 H₂O + 2 O₂**: This is not correct either because it suggests that more products are produced than what is possible from the decomposition of 2 H₂O₂ molecules.

4. **2 H₂O + O₂**: This option matches the products produced from the decomposition of 2 moles of H₂O₂ and is consistent with the balanced equation.

Therefore, the correct product of the reaction would be:

**2 H₂O + O₂**

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