This experiment below is for advanced students. If you’ve ever wondered why hydrogen peroxide comes in dark bottles, it’s because the liquid reacts with sunlight to decompose from H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) into H2O (water) and O2 (oxygen). If you uncap the bottle and wait long enough, you’ll eventually get a container of water (although this takes a LOOONG time to get all of the H2O2 transformed.)
Here’s a way to speed up the process and decompose it right before your eyes. For younger kids, you can modify this advanced-level experiment so it doesn’t involve flames. Here’s what you do:
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Materials:
- hydrogen peroxide
- empty water bottle
- balloon
- charcoal piece
Want to do this experiment with a more dramatic flair? Try speeding it up as shown in the video below.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT DRINK ANYTHING FROM THIS LAB!!
Pour hydrogen peroxide into an empty plastic water bottle. Add a scoop of activated charcoal (you can also smash regular charcoal with a hammer to get it to fit – the smaller the bits, the better it will work, but make sure you do NOT use charcoal pre-soaked in lighter fluid). Cap your bottle with a helium-quality latex balloon and set aside. After several hours, you will have a balloon filled with oxygen.
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There actually isn’t a worksheet for this lesson. Everything you need is shown on this page and in the video.
I don’t see a worksheet linked here, is there one for this lesson?