Question

1.If talcum powder is chemically inert, how is it able to have any effect on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide?

2.Potassium iodide and talcum powder are both powdered solids. Why do they behave differently?

3.Using internet research, calculate the surface area of a sphere with a diameter of 1 nm and then with a diameter of 1μm. As a single particle, which would be more damaging to the ozone layer? Why? Which would be more damaging to the stratospheric ozone layer, a PSC composed of 1g of nm sized solid spheres or 1g of μm sized solid spheres? Why?

4. Explain how you might prove to someone using your results that light initiates the reduction of iron in ferrioxalate.

5. Why is biologically and chemically produced light called cool or cold light?

6. How could you prove that talc and potassium iodide function as a catalyst?

7. Using internet research, how is an aerosol different from a liquid?

8. Clouds are aerosols. Are clouds best described as an inert catalyst or chemically active catalyst? Why? The background section of the “Water pH” lab may be helpful

Answer 1

1. Talcum powder is chemically inert, it is to say that there is no any reaction where it can be a reagent. Hence, we can say that this substance is not able to decompose the hydrogen peroxide by itself. However, the powder has a greater superficial area where many substances can be adsorbed. In fact. Talcum powder is used as an adsorbent to catch many compounds in a sample.

Hydrogen peroxide is a very unstable substance, the effect of heat and the presence of metals and catalysts may accelerate its natural decomposition. Because of that, talcum powder has an effect in the decomposition reaction: it contains so many substance in its area and they are the actual responsibles of the effect in the rate of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide