Kinetic of the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide - Coursework Example

Calculate the activation enthalpy of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide solution when (manganese (IV) oxide & Iron (III) chloride) act as a catalyst and compare their effectiveness. A standard procedure for working out the enthalpy should be applicable for both case studies. Find the order of each reactant and use the order to explain the mechanism of the same. It should involve comparison of the rate of reaction of hydrogen peroxide with manganese (IV) oxide and Iron (III) chloride. Such a comparison would be easy under standard conditions.

Graphical representations of the course of reactions with varying quantities of reactants will facilitate comparison. Chemical kinetics studies chemical reactions under different conditions. Chemical kinetics explains the nature and order of reactions. Knowledge of kinetics is important in conducting experiments to identify unknown substances. It is also vital in determining reactivity of chemical substances under non-specific conditions. Catalysts find use in facilitating reactions, including manganese (IV) oxide, potassium iodide, and an enzyme catalyst.

However, in my investigation, I will only choose two catalysts to use and I will focus on the effect of changing concentration, quantity, temperature and type of catalysts in order to investigate the rate of reaction changed under various experimental conditions. Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) in an aqueous decomposes very slowly under ordinary conditions which means the reaction will happen without the catalysts being used. The reaction is dependent on the internal energy that disordered and random motion of molecules contributes.

Increase temperature will increase molecular speed, on the other hand lower the temperature, lower the internal energy of a substance. However, temperature is indirectly proportional to internal energy. Temperature is a measure of the kinetic and not a reflection of the whole internal energy.