Question

For an experimental study of the kinetics of hydrogen peroxide decomposition in which the pressure of oxygen or volume of oxygen is monitored as a function of time, what should the volume of oxygen collected or the pressure of oxygen be at time zero? Do you expect your plot to pass through the origin? If so, why? If not, why not?

Answer 1

Ans. Balanced Reaction:       2H₂O₂(l) --------> 2H₂O(l) + O₂(g)

# At time t=0, there is no decomposition of H₂O₂. So, there is NO O₂ at initial time t=0.

The volume of O₂ evolve gradually increases as H₂O₂ decomposes.

# When graph is plotted by placing volume of O₂ on Y-axis and time (seconds) on X-axis, the line originates from zero indicating that there is no (or, zero volume of O₂ evolved) O₂ is there is the reaction vessel at time t=0.

# Therefore, the plot is expected to pass through the origin.