Catalyst Matching

Testing Elephant toothpaste reactions with 3 different catalysts
Aiden Luu Jacob Acosta
Grade 6

Hypothesis

We think that the catalyst "Potassium Iodide" will have the biggest chemical match with hydrogen peroxide. Because potassium idodide with hydrogen peroxide for the presence of potassium idodide can enhance the rate of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. this catalyst effect further highlights the positivity of potassium iodide with hydrogen peroxide.

Research

Our research is about the catalysts for elephant toothpaste. Elephant toothpaste is when hydrogen peroxide and water react and generate oxygen. Then, oxygen pushes itself out of the container, then the soap traps the oxygen which makes into foam. Well yeast, potassium iodide are also chemicals that help with the foam exploding experiment.

Variables

Independent Variable: Is the temperature of water in the experiment.

Dependent Variable: The foam that produced from the reaction.

Controlled Variable: The hydrogen peroxide, detergent (dish soap), water, and the food coloring that is used

Procedure

  1. Combine two tablespoons of warm water with one teaspoon of yeast and stir until yeast is dissolved into water.
  2. Pour 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide into the empty bottle.
  3. Add a few drops of food coloring
  4. Add a few squirt of dish soap into the bottle
  5. Pour the mixture of water and yeast into a bottle and observe what happens.

Observations

Our Observations:

  • We noticed that the lower the concentration the H202 is, the safer, smaller, and weaker the reaction.
  • The yeast will work even it had 3% concentration for the hydrogen peroxide we use.
  • Both Potassium iodide and Manganese dioxide needed higher and stronger concentration for hydron peroxide.

Analysis

The Data that Me and My Partner Collected:

  1. We both said that we needed more hydrogen peroxide concentration and amount to make it alot more bigger and better.
  2. The yeast will work with any concentraion of H202.
  3. Potassium will do make foam but we needed a stronger concentration.

Conclusion

Our hypopthesis is wrong. Apperently, we didnt have much concentration for our hydrogen peroxide. yeast will explode but potassium iodide and manganese doixide need a higher concentration.

Application

Learning that mixing chemical will work will hydrogen peroxide, we just need a higher concentration for our hydrogen peroxide to see which chemical will work best with hydrogen peroxide.

Sources Of Error

  • Low concentration of hydrogen peroxide.
  • Wrong units or measurements of water, H202, etc...
  • Wrong procedure.  

Citations

-https://iask.ai/  we used this link once because we couldn't get a certain answer about our experiment

-coolscienceexperimentshq.com we use this link to figure out what we needed/needed to do for our experiment 

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge Nicholas Hauk, Erin James, and other websites to help us complete and achieve our experiment.