Question

When potassium chlorate (${\mathrm{KClO}}_3$) is heated in the presence of a manganese dioxide catalyst, it decomposes to form potassium chloride and oxygen gas. Represent this in the form of a balanced chemical equation.

Answer 1

Chemical equation:

• A chemical equation is made up of reactants, products, and an arrow indicating the direction of the reaction.
• A balanced chemical equation is one in which the number of atoms in all molecules is equal on both sides of the equation.

Decomposition reaction:

• It is described as the chemical reaction in which a chemical substance breaks down when heated, yielding two or more chemical compounds.
• It is regarded as the inverse of a combination reaction.

Potassium chlorate (${\mathrm{KClO}}_3$) when heated in the presence of a manganese dioxide catalyst:

• When heated in the presence of a manganese dioxide catalyst, potassium chlorate ( ${\mathrm{KClO}}_3$ ) decomposes to create potassium chloride and oxygen gas.
• The chemical equation that is balanced is:
• $2{\mathrm{KClO}}_3\left(\mathrm{s}\right)\underset{{\mathrm{MnO}}_2}{\overset{∆}{\to }}2\mathrm{KCl}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+3{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)$