Chemical Reaction creates O2

[insane_alien]

youdo not make the rules. this is not IRC. this is a forum. timescales are longer. if you want IRC we have a chatroom, i am online just now as is capn and klay.

[MrSandman]

JK!!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah, isn't it great? Sorry I thought it was longer.

[Mr Skeptic]

Most people here have suggested using hydrogen peroxide instead of water. It's a good suggestion, as H2O2 will easily break down to water and oxygen. But hydrogen peroxide is not as easy to find as water. I think that if you mix something with a higher electronegativity than oxygen with water, it will displace the oxygen to combine with the hydrogen. Mixing chlorine or fluorine gas with water will form HCl or HF and oxygen. These are exceptionally powerful gaseous acids and would probably kill you. I think you would want a solid that mixes with water to form an acid and oxygen. Disclaimer: I do not know very much chemistry.

[insane_alien]

Disclaimer: I do not know very much chemistry.

 

you also don't know how common hydrogen peroxide is. i can get it at any supermarket. though, your chances of finding a decent concentraton are higher if you go to a hardware store.

[John Cuthber]

Well, shadowact, you are half right. It is 10 vol, not 5. On the other hand

have a look at eqn 5 in this

http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Class/che133/susb/susb035.pdf

[shadowacct]

John, the oxidation could also go as follows:

 

 

2MnO4(-) + H2O2 + 6H(+) ---> 2Mn(2+) + 3O2 + 4H2O

As a side reaction then we could have:

4H2O2 ---> 2O2 + 4H2O

 

Sum both reactions left and right, and you get equation (5) of the document.

 

This is interesting. The reaction can have any stoichimetry, with linear combinations of my two equations, but apparently only one combination is really happening.

 

You are right with your second point (at least for the acidic situation).

 

EDIT: The combination, which really happens is based on the half-equations. For lower than 5H2O2, there also would be oxidation of water (through the acid). For higher than 5H2O2, there also would be decomposition of H2O2.