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How Did They Clean Jumbo's Teeth You Ask? ... With Elephant Toothpaste Of Course!
Hi! I'm Lee!

For my SCH4U ISU I will be preforming the decomposition reaction of H 2 O 2 (hydrogen peroxide)​.

The name of the reaction I will be demonstrating is called "Elephant Toothpaste".





This reaction is extremely interesting and also shows the fundamental properties of a decomposition reaction.

The equation shown below explains the outline for a simple decomposition reaction.

AB → A + B

To place "Elephant Toothpaste" into perspective, the equation for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is...

2 H 2 O 2  → O 2  + 2 H 2 O

It is important to know about decomposition reactions because they occur in our everyday lives. An example of this would be the breakdown of complex carbohydrates in our bodies into simple carbohydrates such as glucose (a sugar needed for most organisms to survive). Another example would be composting food. When we throw food in the compost, bacteria and other organisms use carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water to break it down which usually produces an abundance of methane gas (a large contributor to "the greenhouse effect"). Decomposition reactions also hold many lead roles in natural cycles, which are essential to our lives.

Considering decomposition reactions are always around us, it is important to understand how they work, and why they occur. The "Elephant Toothpaste" reaction will make the decomposition qualities apparent and it will also allow everyone to understand that two new compounds were made (oxygen gas and water) from the first original compound (hydrogen peroxide).