Question

Hydrogen peroxide can be prepared by treating barium peroxide with sulfuric acid. Write a balanced equation for this reaction.

Short answer

The balanced equation is \( \text{BaO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \rightarrow \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 + \text{BaSO}_4 \).

Step-by-step solution

Write the Reactants

Identify the chemical formulas of the reactants. Barium peroxide is written as \( \text{BaO}_2 \), and sulfuric acid is \( \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \).

Determine the Expected Products

When barium peroxide reacts with sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide \( \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 \) and barium sulfate \( \text{BaSO}_4 \) are formed. Barium sulfate is insoluble in water and will precipitate out of the solution.

Write the Unbalanced Chemical Equation

Write the chemical equation incorporating the reactants and products identified: \( \text{BaO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \rightarrow \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 + \text{BaSO}_4 \).

Balance the Equation

To balance the equation, ensure the number of each type of atom on the reactant side is equal to that on the product side. For this reaction, the equation is already balanced as written: \( \text{BaO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \rightarrow \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 + \text{BaSO}_4 \). Each type of atom appears the same number of times on both sides.

Key concepts

Balancing Chemical Equations

Balancing chemical equations is a crucial skill in chemistry. It ensures the law of conservation of mass is obeyed. This law states that mass in a closed system must remain constant over time. In simple terms, this means atoms are neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
To balance an equation, you start by writing down the unbalanced chemical equation. In the exercise, the equation is \( \text{BaO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \rightarrow \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 + \text{BaSO}_4 \). Then:

• Count the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation.
• Adjust the coefficients (the numbers in front of molecules) so each element has the same number of atoms on both sides.

In this particular reaction, each type of atom - barium, oxygen, hydrogen, and sulfur - appears equally on both sides, which is why the equation is already balanced.

Reactants and Products Identification

Identifying reactants and products in a chemical reaction is the first step to writing an equation. Reactants are the starting substances. Products are the substances formed from the reaction.
For the reaction of barium peroxide with sulfuric acid:

• Reactants: Barium peroxide \( \text{BaO}_2 \) and sulfuric acid \( \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \)
• Products: Hydrogen peroxide \( \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 \) and barium sulfate \( \text{BaSO}_4 \)

Understanding what these chemicals do helps piece together the reaction. For example, barium sulfate is known to precipitate out - this means it solidifies from the mixture and falls out of the solution.

Barium Peroxide

Barium peroxide (\( \text{BaO}_2 \)) is an inorganic compound composed of barium and peroxide ions. It is often used in the preparation of other compounds, including hydrogen peroxide as in this exercise.
Barium peroxide serves as an oxidizing agent, reacting with acids to release hydrogen peroxide. Its formula, \( \text{BaO}_2 \), indicates each molecule consists of one barium (Ba) atom and two oxygen (O) atoms.
Understanding its structure is important because it gives insight into how it behaves during reactions, like its ability to oxidize sulfuric acid to form hydrogen peroxide.

Sulfuric Acid Reaction

Sulfuric acid \( \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \), is a strong acid widely used in laboratories and industry. Its reaction with barium peroxide is interesting because it showcases typical acid-base interaction and results in the formation of hydrogen peroxide.
During the reaction, sulfuric acid releases hydrogen ions, functional in forming new substances. These hydrogen ions, when reacting with barium peroxide, facilitate the formation of hydrogen peroxide (\( \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 \)).
Moreover, sulfuric acid acts as a proton donor, while barium peroxide is the oxidizing agent in this process. Understanding these roles gives clarity on how these chemical interactions take place and the resulting products.