Old Foamy Guide

Materials:

1. Graduated cylinder 100-mL

Title:

Old Foamy

Question:

What reaction(s) do we observe after mixing hydrogen peroxide, sodium iodide solution, and dish washing liquid and creating enormous soapy foam to erupt?

Design/Plan:

I will mix hydrogen peroxide, sodium iodide solution, and dish-washing liquid and observe the reaction while the enormous soapy foam erupts.

First, you place a 100-mL graduated cylinder or the flask in a plastic tray that is several inches deep.

Then, you measure out 20-mL of the 30% hydrogen peroxide into the 100 mL graduated cylinder.

Caution: Make sure you wear chemical resisting gloves and goggles when handling 30% hydrogen peroxide. Contact with skin may cause burns.

Next, measure out 10-mL of dish washing liquid, into the 10-mL graduated cylinder and add it to the cylinder containing the hydrogen peroxide.

After, measure out 5-mL of sodium iodide solution using the 10-mL graduated cylinder. Quickly but carefully, add the sodium iodide solution to the 100-mL graduated cylinder.

Finally, step back from the work table and observe the reaction.

Investigation

Purpose:

To observe/find out the reaction(s) that occur(s) after mixing hydrogen peroxide, sodium iodide solution, and dish washing liquid together to cause enormous soapy foam to erupt.

Materials:

1. Graduated cylinder 100-mL

2. Graduated cylinder 10-mL

3. Plastic tray, several inches deep or chemical splash tray

4. Hydrogen peroxide, 30%, 20 mL

5. Sodium iodide solution 2M, 5 mL

6. Dish-washing liquid, 10 mL

7. Flask

Procedure:

Same as design.

1. Place a 100-mL graduated cylinder or the flask in a plastic tray that is several inches deep.

2. Measure out 20-mL of the 30% hydrogen peroxide into the 100 mL graduated cylinder. Caution: Wear chemical resisting gloves and goggles when handling 30% hydrogen peroxide. Contact with skin may cause burns.

3. Measure out 10-mL of dish washing liquid, into the 10-mL graduated cylinder and add it to the cylinder containing the hydrogen peroxide.

4. Measure out 5-mL of sodium iodide solution using the 10-mL graduated cylinder. Quickly but carefully, add the sodium iodide solution to the 100-mL graduated cylinder.

5. Step back from the work table and observe the reaction.

Data:

20 mL of 30% hydrogen peroxide+5 mL of sodium iodide solution+10 mL of dish washing liquid=foamy soap eruption.

The overall equation for this reaction is:

2H2O2 (aq) --> H2O (l) + O2 (g)

However, the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen is catalyzed by the iodide ion.

H2O2(aq) + I-(aq) --> OI-(aq) + H2O(l)

H2O2(aq) + OI-(aq) --> I-(aq) + H2O(l) + O2(g)

The dish washing detergent captures the oxygen as bubbles. The heat from this exothermic reaction is such that the foam may steam.

Calculations:

20 mL of 30% hydrogen peroxide+5 mL of sodium iodide solution+10 mL of dish washing liquid=foamy soap eruption, thus creating an exothermic reaction with the help of the sodium iodide that acts as a catalyst which speeds up the decomposition reaction. The products of the reaction are water vapor and oxygen gas.

The overall equation for this reaction is:

2H2O2 (aq) --> H2O (l) + O2 (g)

Analysis and Conclusion:

The decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide is highly exothermic and produces lots of heat and steam. The action of a catalyst is demonstrated through the use of sodium iodide, which speeds up the decomposition reaction. The products of the reaction are water vapor and oxygen gas.

Chemical reaction: 2H2O2 (aq) --> H2O (l) + O2 (g) + Energy

Application and Extension:

This project can be essential to experiments done by scientists who use catalysts to speed up a chemical reaction by lowering the amount of energy we need to get one going.

Catalysis is the backbone of many industrial processes, which use chemical reactions to turn raw materials into useful products. They are integral in making plastics and many other manufactured items.

Almost everything in our daily life depends on catalysts: cars, Post-It notes, laundry detergent, all the parts of our sandwich—bread, cheddar cheese, roast turkey. Catalysts break down paper pulp to produce the smooth paper in our magazines. They clean contact lenses every night. They turn milk into yogurt and petroleum into plastic milk jugs, CDs and bicycle helmets.

Most of those things are all essential for our daily lives. Therefore, with the help of this experiment, students will learn what a catalyst is and how it's put into action. The catalyst we use in the experiment is sodium iodide. However, others include potassium iodide, and even yeast. Students will also learn what an exothermic reaction is and how it can be caused.

Background information:

Objective: Mix hydrogen peroxide, sodium iodide solution, and dishwashing liquid in a tall cylinder and observe enormous soapy foam erupt.

Principle concepts:

· Exothermic reaction: chemical or physical reaction that releases heat.

· This experiment involves release of heat- the steam coming out of the foam- which in this case the steam is the heat.

· In this experiment a catalyst is seen, there is an ion that speeds up the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

· The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide produces steam and oxygen gas.

· The oxygen gas and water vapor are the factors that make the detergent liquid form bubbles and foam.

· Hydrogen peroxide: the oxidizing agent, and a very strong oxidant, can also infuse flame, so the substance should not be heated.

· Also called the elephant toothpaste demonstration.

· http://imaginationstationtoledo.org/content/2011/03/supersized-elephants-toothpaste/ -video of the experiment

· We will be using 30% hydrogen peroxide, and catalyst of sodium iodine to create the eruption of foam bubbles.

· We will also add dishwashing detergent and food coloring, to give color to the foam (optional)

Key words:

Hydrogen peroxide, exothermic reaction, catalyst, sodium iodine, elephant toothpaste, oxygen gas.

Chemical reaction:

2 H2O2(aq) -->O2(aq) + 2 H2O(aq)

2. Graduated cylinder 10-mL

3. Plastic tray, several inches deep or chemical splash tray

4. Hydrogen peroxide, 30%, 20 mL

5. Sodium iodide solution 2M, 5 mL

6. Dish-washing liquid, 10 mL

7. Flask

Procedure:

1. Place a 100-mL graduated cylinder or the flask in a plastic tray that is several inches deep.

2. Measure out 20-mL of the 30% hydrogen peroxide into the 100 mL graduated cylinder. Caution: Wear chemical resisting gloves and goggles when handling 30% hydrogen peroxide. Contact with skin may cause burns.

3. Measure out 10-mL of dish washing liquid, into the 10-mL graduated cylinder and add it to the cylinder containing the hydrogen peroxide.

4. Measure out 5-mL of sodium iodide solution using the 10-mL graduated cylinder. Quickly but carefully, add the sodium iodide solution to the 100-mL graduated cylinder.

5. Step back from the work table and observe the reaction.

Scientific principle/Essential Understanding:

The decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide is highly exothermic and produces lots of heat and steam. The action of a catalyst is demonstrated through the use of sodium iodide, which speeds up the decomposition reaction. The products of the reaction are water vapor and oxygen gas. The presence of oxygen gas in the foam is demonstrated by the glowing splint test. When a glowing splint is inserted into the foam, it spontaneously reignites due to the increased concentration of oxygen.

Chemical reaction: 2H2O2 (aq) --> H2O (l) + O2 (g) + Energy