2H2O2→2H2O +O2
Which statement about the reaction is correct?
• The reaction creates new atoms of H2O and O2.
• H2O2 has the same properties as H2O and O2.
• Atoms of H2 and O2 are lost during the reaction.
• The H2O and O2 produced have the same mass as the original H2O2.
To determine which of the statements about the given reaction is correct, let's analyze the reaction equation:
2H2O2 → 2H2O + O2
This balanced chemical equation represents the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into water (H2O) and oxygen (O2). Here's how we can analyze each statement:
1. The reaction creates new atoms of H2O and O2.
- This statement is incorrect. In a chemical reaction, atoms are rearranged, not created or destroyed. The number of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms remains the same on both sides of the equation.
2. H2O2 has the same properties as H2O and O2.
- This statement is incorrect. H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) is a different compound than H2O (water) and O2 (oxygen gas). Each substance has distinct properties.
3. Atoms of H2 and O2 are lost during the reaction.
- This statement is incorrect. The balanced equation shows that 2 moles of H2O2 decompose to form 2 moles of H2O and 1 mole of O2. This implies that no hydrogen or oxygen atoms are lost; they are simply rearranged into different compounds.
4. The H2O and O2 produced have the same mass as the original H2O2.
- This statement is correct. According to the law of conservation of mass, the total mass of reactants must equal the total mass of products. Since the coefficients in the balanced equation indicate a 1:1 ratio between H2O2 and H2O/O2, the total mass of H2O2 will be equal to the sum of the masses of H2O and O2 produced.
Based on the analysis, the correct statement is: "The H2O and O2 produced have the same mass as the original H2O2."