Core Practical 11: Investigate the effect of different solids on catalytic

decomposition
Catalysts are substances that speed up a chemical reaction without being Further information can be found
used up or chemically changed at the end of the reaction. They are usually in the Edexcel International
specific to certain reactions, so an effective catalyst for one reaction may have GCSE (9-1) Chemistry
no effect on the rate of a different reaction. Catalysts are essential in many Student Book on pages:
industrial reactions, such as in the manufacture of ammonia in the Haber
• 213-215: Catalysts al'.ld reaction
process. They are useful because they allow faster reaction rates that would
rates
otherwise only be possible at higher temperatures, which would be more
expensive. Many catalysts are transition metals or their compounds.
In this reaction you are investigating hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, which is an
aqueous solution. Hydrogen peroxide decomposes over time to produce water Catalyst: A substance that speeds up
and oxygen gas: a chemical reaction without being used
up or chemically changed at the end of
2H202 ---+ 2H20 + 0 2 the reaction.
Transition metal: An element that is
At room temperature this reaction is slow, but tiny bubbles of oxygen may found in the block of the Periodic Table
be seen after several minutes. With an effective catalyst the reaction is between Group 2 and Group 3.
much faster, so large bubbles are produced very quickly and the reaction is Transition metals are usually hard,
noticeably exothermic. shiny, malleable and good conductors
of heat and electricity.
Aim Exothermic reaction: A reaction that
releases energy (usually in the form
Investigate the effect of different solids on the catalytic decomposition of of heat, thus causing an increase in
hydrogen peroxide solution. temperature).

Equipment and reagents

• Eight boiling tubes • 40 cm3 hydrogen peroxide solution
• 10 cm3 measuring cylinder • 0.5 g copper(II) oxide You might be given a different range of solids by yo
• Top pan balance • 0.5 g manganese(IV) oxide
• Filter funnel • 0.5 g copper turnings
• Four pieces of filter paper • 0.5 g potassium iodide

Wear eye protection.

Hydrogen peroxide solution will be supplied in a dilute form. The standard concentration of diluted hydrogen peroxide is called '20 vol'
Copper(II) oxide is harmful if swallowed, causes serious eye and skin irritation and is harmful if inhaled. It is also very toxic to aquat
Manganese(IV) oxide is harmful if swallowed and harmful if inhaled. The safety precautions are the same as for copper(II) oxide.

The concentration of hydrogen peroxide is often quoted in 'vols.' This is a measurement of the volumeof oxygen gas that can be obtai

Method
1 Measure 10 cm3 of hydrogen peroxide into four separate boiling tubes. Recognising and using numbers in

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2 Add 0.5 g of copper(II) oxide into one of the boiling tubes. Record your decimal form.
observations. ------
3 At the end of the experiment, weigh a piece of filter paper and then filter the
mixture, retaining the residue. Rinse the boiling tube with distilled water and
pour the rinsings into the filter paper to collect all of the remaining solid.
4 Allow the filter paper to dry. This may take a day or more. Re-weigh the filter
paper and residue.
5 Repeat steps 2 to 4 with a different solid, clearly labelling each piece of filter
paper with your name and the identity of the solid.

2
Observations
1 Complete this table.

Copper(II) oxide
Manganese(IV) oxide
If you used different solids as catalysts, you will n
Copper
Potassium iodide

Conclusions
2 For each solid, decide whether it sped up the reaction, and calculate the
mass of solid left at the end of the reaction. (Subtract the mass of the clean, In this experiment, a solid that acted as a catalys
dry filter paper to calculate the mass of the solid remaining after the
experiment.) Finally, decide whether each substance was a catalyst. Enter
your conclusions in the table.

Copper(II) oxide
Manganese(IV) oxide
Copper
Potassium iodide

Evaluation
3 How did you decide which solid was the best catalyst?

4 A student repeated the method described here, but found that the mass of manganese(IV) oxide on the filter paper
was higher than the original amount used in the experiment. Explain the possible reasons for this unexpected
observation.

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 Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) Chemistry Student Lab Book
Core Practical 11: Investigate the effect of different solids on catalytic decomposition

Exam-style questions
1 Hydrogen peroxide solution (H2O2) decomposes to produce water and oxygen. At room temperature the
reaction is slow, but it occurs rapidly when a suitable catalyst is added. The reaction is exothermic.

a} Write a balanced symbol equation for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide solution, including state
symbols. [3]

····························································································································
b) Hydrogen peroxide solution is an irritant, so suitable eye protection must be worn throughout the practical.
Suggest another safety precaution when using hydrogen peroxide solution. [1]

····························································································································
c} The apparatus in the diagram was used to investigate this reaction.

Hyd rogen peroxide

Oxygen

Potential catalyst to be tested

The results obtained when using manganese(IV) oxide are shown in the graph.
120 1 , , , , ,.,. ,.. 1 ,, i , , j , , , , , 1, ( , , , , , , , , , 1, , 1 , , , , , , , ,] , , , , , , , , , , , [ , , , , , , . ,, j

10 20 30 40 50
60 70 80 90 100
Tim e ins

i) Identify what volumeof gas had been produced at 40 s. [1]

..•••.....•......•.•.............•.........cm3

ii) Identify the total volume of gas produced during the reaction. [1]
.•.......•.....•••....•..•...••..............ems

iii} The reaction took place at room temperature. Draw a line on the graph to show how the results would
be different if the reaction took place at a higher temperature. · [2]

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2 The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to form water and oxygen can be catalysed by manganese(IV) oxide.
a) Explain how a catalyst works. [2]

b) Describe an experiment to investigate different solids that might be effective catalysts for the
decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Your method should include how to measure the volume of
oxygen produced, and how you would analyse the data collected. You may include a labelled diagram in
your
answer if you wish. [6]

[Total = ••..•••. / 16 marks]

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