Question

Hydrogen peroxide decomposes to water and oxygen gas. Write out the equation, describing what is oxidized and what is reduced, and what material is the oxidizing agent and what material is the reducing agent.

Answer 1

When Hydrogen Peroxide is decomposed it gives water and Oxygen gas

in the presence of light.

This is an example of disproportionation reaction where oxygen is reduced and oxidized.

In oxygen has the oxidation state

Now at product side , in H₂O, the oxidation state Of Oxygen is

and in O_{2 ,} the oxidation state of oxygen is

In one case, state of oxygen from -1 to -2 that means it is reduced and in other case the oxidation state from -1 to 0 that means oxidized.

Here oxygen is oxidized and also reduced.

Here H₂O₂ is the oxidizing agent and the oxygen(O₂) is the reducing agent.