1. What are the ways in which oxygen is prepared in the laboratory?
1. What are the ways in which oxygen is prepared in the laboratory?
Preparation of Oxygen in the Laboratory
To prepare oxygen, a compound that contains oxygen is usually decomposed' to yield oxygen gas. Other ways of preparing oxygen are by passing electricity through water to break it up into hydrogen and oxygen (a process called electrolysis), by heating metal oxides, or even by separating it from the air. In most reactions, a catalyst is used. A catalyst is a substance that makes a reaction proceed faster without itself undergoing any change.
(i) From potassium chlorate (KCIO3)
Potassium chlorate, when heated to 250 °C in the presence of the catalyst manganese dioxide (MnO2), decomposes to give oxygen gas (O2) and potassium chloride (KCI). The reaction is as follows:
(ii) From hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
Oxygen can also be prepared from hydrogen peroxide. This reaction generally proceeds slowly and hence the catalyst manganese dioxide is used here as well. The reaction is as follows:
Preparation of Oxygen in the Laboratory
To prepare oxygen, a compound that contains oxygen is usually decomposed' to yield oxygen gas. Other ways of preparing oxygen are by passing electricity through water to break it up into hydrogen and oxygen (a process called electrolysis), by heating metal oxides, or even by separating it from the air. In most reactions, a catalyst is used. A catalyst is a substance that makes a reaction proceed faster without itself undergoing any change.
(i) From potassium chlorate (KCIO3)
Potassium chlorate, when heated to 250 °C in the presence of the catalyst manganese dioxide (MnO2), decomposes to give oxygen gas (O2) and potassium chloride (KCI). The reaction is as follows:
(ii) From hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
Oxygen can also be prepared from hydrogen peroxide. This reaction generally proceeds slowly and hence the catalyst manganese dioxide is used here as well. The reaction is as follows:
