The Different Uses and Properties of Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a very useful chemical and it is one of those compounds you usually see inside your homes. Most people working with the compound know how important it is. In fact, you can see the application of this simple peroxide compound in different fields. This compound is actually more interesting than what we know. Based on the rules assigned when naming compounds, you can call it hydrogen dioxide although this is a remotely popular name. It shares the same elements as water, by containing only oxygen and hydrogen atoms, but it has one more oxygen atom. And this molecular difference creates all the difference, as water and this peroxide don't share too many common properties. To say the least, you cannot drink the peroxide compound.

The botanical applications of this compound have never been discussed in so many books. But little does anyone know that rainwater may contain this compound. Traces of this compound in rainwater makes it more effective than tap water to use for plants, but as the atmosphere gets more polluted, the peroxide compound reacts with the gaseous pollutants. Thus, much less of the peroxide chemical reaches the ground. Therefore, farmers spray their crops with dilute solutions of this substance.

Let's talk a bit about the physical properties of this compound. You write it down either as H2O2 or HOOH. The former describes the number of hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the molecule while the latter tells the molecular arrangement, at least the sequence of the atoms in the structure. The chemical has no odor and no color. It is stable under proper conditions but is usually volatile. Without radiation and contamination, HOOH can last long with a dissociation rate of 10% a year. If you store the liquid in low temperatures, you can prolong its life even more. The boiling point of the compound is 152 degrees Celsius, and its freezing point is -2 degrees, but these could vary depending on the concentration of the peroxide in aqueous solution. The compound readily decomposes when exposed to other substances. The decomposition is generally marked by evolution of oxygen gas, leaving water behind.