Question

Perhydrol is:
(A) 10 % of ${{H}_{2}}{{O}_{2}}$
(B) 30 % of ${{H}_{2}}{{O}_{2}}$
(C) 3 % of ${{H}_{2}}{{O}_{2}}$
(D) 100 % of ${{H}_{2}}{{O}_{2}}$

Answer 1

Hint: Perhydrol is the common name for hydrogen peroxide of a specific volume and strength. Perhydrol is the most commonly used concentration of hydrogen peroxide used in chemical reactions as well as in industrial reactions. This will help you identify the concentration of hydrogen peroxide present in perhydrol and thereby answer the question.

Complete step by step answer:
- Hydrogen peroxide is a colorless liquid at room temperature i.e. 298 K. It has a distinguishing bitter taste. Traces of gaseous hydrogen peroxide occur naturally in the air.
- Hydrogen peroxide is thermodynamically unstable and easily decomposes to produce nascent oxygen and water along with energy in the form of heat. Hydrogen peroxide on its own is non-flammable. However due to its oxidizing properties, it can cause spontaneous combustion as it comes in contact with any organic material.
- Hydrogen peroxide is measured in terms of volume strength which denotes the percentage of pure hydrogen peroxide is diluted in the solvent to form the required solution.
- Perhydrol is the common name for the hydrogen peroxide solution having volume strength 100. Hydrogen Peroxide having 100 volume strength when converted to percentage form it becomes 30 % (w/v) form. The correct answer is option “B” .

Note: Hydrogen peroxide has a unique property of oxidizing as well reducing the other reactant. This means that hydrogen peroxide can act as an oxidizing agent or as a reducing agent. This is because the oxidation state of oxygen is in the intermediate state of -1.