Years 9 and 10 Alice Poon Y10T

Name of Student Alice Poon

Grade Y10 Trust

Teacher Ms. Yuki Wong

Experiment to investigate the effect of the Different Concentrations of Potassium Iodide on the Rate
of Reaction.

Page 1 of 9 1
Years 9 and 10 Alice Poon Y10T

LABORATORY REPORT

Investigation Question -Bi

How does the concentration of potassium iodide affect the rate of reaction?

Background to the Investigation question -Bi

The aim of the experiment is to compare the effect of the different concentrations of potassium iodide on the rate of
reaction.

When mixing potassium iodide, hydrogen peroxide and dish detergent, foam is created and pushed out at a high speed.
This experiment is well known as Elephants Toothpaste. The potassium iodide is the catalyst in the experiment,
which means that it decomposes and breaks down other chemicals when they react. This will cause different amount
of foam to be created at different rates. In this experiment, I am going to analyse how the different concentration of
potassium iodide affects the rate of reaction.

The rate of reaction is a measurement for a reactant, usually to test the rate of reactant being formed. It is triggered by
chemical reactions and the collision of reactant particles. A minimum activation energy is required in order to an
effective collision. The greater the energy of collision, the greater the rate of reaction.

Including a catalyst in a chemical reaction can increase the rate of reaction without it being emptied or consumed. In
this experiment, the potassium iodide acts as the catalyst, which will affect the rate of reaction.

After calculating the rate of reaction, the role of the concentration of potassium iodide will be clear, and we can then
analyse how a catalyst affects the rate of reaction as well.

Hypothesis Bii
I predict that the potassium iodide with the highest concentration will react the quickest. The higher the concentration,
the quicker the rate of reaction.

Explanation of your HypothesisBii

In the solution, potassium iodide is added to a mixture that includes hydrogen peroxide and dish detergent. When
added, potassium iodide acts as a catalyst, which decomposes the hydrogen peroxide, breaking it down into water and
oxygen. This causes the oxygen to push the foam (created by the dish detergent and water) out of the container. This is
called a catalysed reaction.

Therefore, I predict that the potassium iodide with the highest concentration will react the quickest because the higher
the concentration, the stronger it acts as a catalyst, which will result in decomposing the hydrogen peroxide at a higher
speed. The quicker the reaction speed, the higher and stronger the rate of reaction.

Page 2 of 9 2
Years 9 and 10 Alice Poon Y10T

Graph 1: A line graph that shows my hypothesis of how changing the concentration of the potassium iodide (M)
affects the rate of reaction (ml/secs)

VariablesBiii
Independent variable Different concentration of Potassium Iodide (KI)

Unit(s) of IV Molarity (M)

Range of IV measured 5 different concentrations (0.4M, 0.8M, 1.2M, 1.6M, 2.0M)

Describe and explain the The 5 variables of the different concentrations with an interval of 0.4 will be
procedure to change the used; 0.4M, 0.8M, 1.2M, 1.6M and 2.0M. For each trial, we will measure the
independent variable. same amount of potassium iodide (5ml) using a pipette for accurate
measurements. The potassium iodide will be dropped into a measuring cylinder
and when the other solutions are ready, it will be poured into the other
measuring cylinder with the solution.

Dependent variable Time of reaction

A stopwatch will be used to measure the time.

Unit(s) of DV Seconds (secs)

Derived variable Rate of Reaction

Unit(s) of DV Milliliters per second (ml/secs)

Describe and explain the The general rate of reaction can be calculate using the following equation.
procedure to calculate the
amount of reactant formed
derived variable. Rate of Reaction = time taken

Page 3 of 9 3
Years 9 and 10 Alice Poon Y10T

The rate of reaction for this experiment can be calculated using the following
equation.

amount of foam formed (50ml)

Rate of Reaction (ml/secs) = time taken (secs)

We can then compare the results of the rate of reaction.

Controlled variable Procedure to control it and explain why it

matters to the investigation.
Describe and explain the The temperature of the If the temperature of the solutions are raised, it can
procedure to control other potassium iodide and affect the rate of reaction drastically. This is
variables in the hydrogen peroxide in each because if the temperature increases, the number of
investigation. trial and variable should particles will also increase, which results in a
be kept the same higher energy in the particle collision requiring the
throughout the needs of the minimum activation energy, making
experiment. the collision stronger, followed by a higher rate of
reaction.

Therefore, in order to keep the temperature of the

potassium iodide and hydrogen peroxide constant,
we should avoid contact with the containers of the
bottles, and they should be kept at room
temperature in order to conduct a fair test.
The amount of dish The more dish detergent that is added to the
detergent added to the solution, the more soap and foam will be created.
solution should be kept This can cause an increase of the amount of foam,
the same throughout the and is unfair for our test because we are measuring
experiment. the time it takes for the solution to reach the 50ml
mark on a measuring cylinder.

Therefore, in order to keep the amount of dish

detergent added constant, we should use a pipette
for a more accurate reading of the amount we need
to drop into the solution. The dish detergent should
also be mixed with a little bit of water so that it is
easier to drop the detergent into the solution
instead of it sticking to the inside of the pipette.
The density of the dish Similar to above, the heavier the density of the
detergent should be kept dish detergent, the easier it is to form foam. The
the same throughout the more watered down the detergent is, the more
experiment. diluted the detergent is, which makes it harder to
form foam.

Therefore, in order to keep the density of the dish

detergent constant, we should add the same amount
of water to dilute the detergent every time to keep
a fair test.

Materials / Equipment ListBiv

Chemicals:
Dish detergent x 500ml

Page 4 of 9 4
Years 9 and 10 Alice Poon Y10T

4% 1M H2O2 (aq)
x 500ml
0.4M KI (aq) x 200ml
0.8M KI (aq) x 200l
1.2M KI (aq) x 200ml
1.6M KI (aq) x 200ml
2.0M KI (aq) x 200ml

Apparatus:
1000ml measuring cylinder x1
50ml measuring cylinder x2
50ml beaker x1
Plastic tray x1
Stopwatch x1
Pipette x3
50ml measuring cylinder x10
10ml measuring cylinder x3

Yellow highlight - added / adjusted during experiment due to errors

Risk Assessment Biv

Some of the risks that is involved with this experiment includes the following.
1. Hydrogen peroxide - Although the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide used is comparatively low
(4%), there is still a chance that it could be hazardous to the human skin. It could corrode, burn or
sting skin and surfaces if not handled carefully. Therefore, lab coats and safety goggles should be
worn throughout the experiment, and gloves should also be worn during cleaning process. Experiment
should be done on a plastic tray to lessen the damage if the solution or foam comes in contact with
surface.
2. Heat and steam - Steam and hot oxygen is immediately produced when potassium iodide is added into
the solution, so safety goggles must be worn, and attendants should avoid standing over or looking
directly into the solution. The solution becomes warm when the reaction occurs, so attendants should
avoid touching the measuring cylinder, and let it cool down for a minute or so before picking it up.
3. Washing up - Because the foam is quite thick, there could be a possibility of the foam blocking the
sink when washing and cleaning up. Also, the hydrogen peroxide can also damage the sink.
Therefore, attendants should prepare a waste bucket, and pour the contents in before washing the
remaining with water in the sink.
4. Could get into eye or mouth - Lab coat, safety goggles and gloves should be worn in case the foam
gets too overwhelming, and attendants should avoid touching their own face after handling with the
solutions to avoid getting it in their eye or mouth, because it could be hazardous.

Method / ProcedureBiv
1. Attendants needs to be wearing their lab coat, safety goggles, and gloves (optional) for safety precautions
2. Set up apparatus as shown in diagram below on a plastic tray. Prepare a stopwatch to record the time of
reaction
3. Measure 2ml of dish detergent in a 10ml measuring cylinder and dilute it with a little bit of tap water, and mix
well
4. Measure 5ml of hydrogen peroxide in a separate 10ml measuring cylinder
5. Measure 5ml of potassium iodide in a separate 10ml measuring cylinder
6. Pour the 2ml of dish detergent into a 50ml measuring cylinder. Use a pipette if needed
7. Pour the 5ml of hydrogen peroxide into the same 50ml measuring cylinder. Use a pipette if needed
8. Pour the 5ml of potassium iodide into the same 50ml measuring cylinder. Use a pipette if needed
9. The moment the potassium iodide is poured into the solution, start the stopwatch
10. Stand back and observe
11. Once the solution / foam reaches the 50ml mark on the measuring cylinder, pause the stopwatch
12. Record the time of reaction onto a table
Page 5 of 9 5
Years 9 and 10 Alice Poon Y10T

13. Repeat steps 3-12 4 times for each concentration of potassium iodide. Start with 0.4M and continue with
0.8M, 1.2M, 1.6M and 2.0M
14. Once you have collected all your data, 5 trials for 5 variables, clean up the apparatus
Diagram 1: A diagram that shows the setup for the experiment and the assembled apparatus

Results - Ci
Table 1: A table that shows how changing the concentration of the potassium iodide (M) affects the time of reaction
(secs)
Concentratio Time of Reaction (secs)
n of
Potassium Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5
Iodide (M)
0.4M 59.20 67.30 65.57 71.65 60.90
0.8M 30.07 25.55 26.58 25.90 25.81
1.2M 16.10 15.26 15.50 15.80 15.42
1.6M 11.21 11.91 11.58 11.67 11.48
2.0M 6.89 7.70 8.00 8.52 8.44
Blue - outlier
When adding the hydrochloric acid, it was added to the sides of the cylinder, resulting in the acid dripping to the
solution slowly, which caused the reaction to occur slower.

Qualitative Observations- Ci
1. The higher the concentration, the warmer the solution (observed by lightly touching the measuring
cylinder)
2. The higher the concentration, the thicker the foam (observed visually)
3. The higher the concentration, the darker the colour (observed visually)

Processed data- Ci
Table 2: A table that shows how changing concentration of the potassium iodide (M) affects the average of the time of
reaction (secs) and range
Time of Reaction (secs)
Concentration of
Potassium Iodide Range
(M) Average (unit)
Min Max
0.4M 59.20+67.30+65.57+71.65+60.90 = 64.924 59.20 71.65
5

0.8M 30.07+25.55+26.58+25.90+25.81 = 26.782 25.55 30.07

5

1.2M 16.10+15.26+15.50+15.80+15.42 = 15.616 15.26 16.10

5

Page 6 of 9 6
Years 9 and 10 Alice Poon Y10T

1.6M 11.21+11.91+11.58+11.67+11.48 = 11.570 11.21 11.91

5

2.0M 6.89+7.70+8.00+8.52+8.44 = 7.910 6.89 8.52

5
Table 3: A table that shows how changing concentration of the potassium iodide (M) affects the rate of reaction
(ml/secs)
Concentratio
n of
Rate of Reaction (ml/secs) (rounded to 3 decimal places)
Potassium
Iodide (M)
0.4M 50 = 0.770
64.924

0.8M 50 = 1.867
26.782

1.2M 50 = 3.202
15.616

1.6M 50 = 4.322
11.570

2.0M 50 = 6.321
7.910

Graph- Ci
Graph 2: A line graph that shows the effect of the concentration of potassium iodide (M) on the time of reaction (secs)

Page 7 of 9 7
Years 9 and 10 Alice Poon Y10T

Graph 3: A line graph that shows the effect of the concentration of potassium iodide (M) on the rate of reaction
(ml/secs)

Conclusion - Cii
According to my data, my results supports my hypothesis. The potassium iodide with the highest concentration reacted
the quickest. The higher the concentration, the quicker the rate of reaction. As you can see from my data, not only did
the potassium iodide with the highest concentration have the fastest average time of reaction, it also had the highest
rate of reaction, proving that the solution reacts quicker when the concentration of the potassium iodide is higher.

Explanation of results - Cii

As mentioned in my hypothesis, the potassium iodide acts as a catalyst in this experiment; it decomposes the hydrogen
peroxide and breaks it down into water and oxygen, which is what causes the foam to erupt. The decomposition
reaction of hydrogen peroxide can be illustrated in the following chemical formula:

2H2O2 -> 2H2O + O2

Hydrogen peroxide often decomposes by itself, however a catalyst speeds up the process and breaks down the
chemical rapidly, which is why the potassium iodide with the highest concentration has the highest rate of reaction.
The higher the concentration, the stronger the catalyst, the faster it reacts.

Also, as mentioned in the qualitative observations, the solutions with the higher concentrations have a darker colour.
This is because the higher the concentration of potassium iodide, the stronger the iodine, which is where the brown
colour comes from. This also shows that the acidic level is higher, hence why it is a stronger catalyst. The solutions
with higher concentrations are also warmer due to this being an exothermic reaction. Heat is produced in the reaction
from the hydrogen gas, oxygen and steam. And as mentioned in the controlled variables, solutions with a higher
temperatures have stronger collisions caused by kinetic energy, which transfers to thermal energy, causing further
increase of the rate of reaction.

Evaluation-Validity of the hypothesis - Ciii

My results supports my hypothesis, which shows that my hypothesis is valid. Furthermore, I compared my results to
the other similar research and data for the same experiment, shown below.

Page 8 of 9 8
Years 9 and 10 Alice Poon Y10T

Evaluation - Validity of the method - Civ

I think the method of my experiment is valid. We had a wide variety of recorded data of 5 trials from 5 variables,
which ended up with 25 pieces of data. The data I collected was enough to answer my investigation question and to
analyse and compare the data. We gathered a lot of data to make sure that our results were accurate.

Evaluation of the Method and Suggested Improvements - Cv

Problems with the experiment The effect caused by the Suggested improvements
problem
The density of the dish detergent As mentioned in the controlled Instead of diluting a new batch of dish
varied from different trials. In some variables, the heavier the detergent for each trial, we couldve
trials the dish detergent was heavier density of the dish detergent, measured a large amount of dish
but in other trials it was more runny the easier it is to form foam. detergent and diluted it at once so that
The more watered down the the density is kept constant. We
detergent is, the harder it is to couldve also diluted it bit by bit so
form foam. This couldve that it wasnt as watery in some trials.
affected the results slightly
because it wasnt a fair test.
This could also be responsible
for the outlier.
We reused some of the 50ml As mentioned in the controlled Instead of just rinsing the apparatuses
measuring cylinders in the variables, the temperature of briefly between each trial / variable,
experiment after rinsing them briefly, the solution can drastically we couldve taken more measuring
however they may not have been affect the results due to cylinders instead to avoid temperature
cooled down completely before being activation energy and particle issues. We couldve also soaked the
used for another variable collision. If the apparatuses measuring cylinders in cold water to
havent been cooled down ensure that they have been cooled
before being reused, the down completely before reusing it.
thermal energy from the
previous trial / variable may
still be there, resulting in the
increase of temperature for the
following trial.

Extensions to the experiment:

1. The effect of the temperature of potassium iodide on the rate of reaction - How does the temperature of
potassium iodide affect the rate of reaction?
2. The effect of the percentage of hydrogen peroxide on the rate of reaction - How does the percentage of
hydrogen peroxide affect the rate of reaction? (This experiment is extremely dangerous because hydrogen
peroxide of higher percentages tend to be corrosive and hazardous)

Works Cited
1. Porcja, Bob. "Catalytic Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide by Potassium Iodide." Welcome to the Rutgers Chemistry
Lecture Demonstration (CLD) Facility. CLD, n.d. Web.
<http://cldfacility.rutgers.edu/content/catalytic-decomposition-hydrogen-peroxide-potassium-iodide>.
2. "Rates of Reaction: Collisions and Reactions." GCSE Bitesize. BBC, 2014. Web.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa/reaction/ratesrev3.shtml>.
3. Boundless. Factors that Affect Reaction Rate. Boundless Chemistry. Boundless, 08 Aug. 2016. Web.
<https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/textbooks/boundless-chemistry-textbook/chemical-kinetics-13/activation-energy
-and-temperature-dependence-100/factors-that-affect-reaction-rate-415-3638/>.
4. Meerman, Ruben. "Teacher Demonstration 26: Elephants Toothpaste." (2009): n. pag. ABC Science Online. ABC, 2009.
Web. <http://www.abc.net.au/science/surfingscientist/pdf/teachdemo26.pdf>.

Page 9 of 9 9