Question

Describe what occurs after the toothpick is dropped into each bottle . ( each bottle is filled with 1/3 of hydrogen peroxide and must shake each bottle for 15 minutes with each item in it then light a tooth pick on fire blow it out and drop it into the bottle with the cap on but not twisted) what hapepns ?

Bottle 1- Nothing added________

Bottle 2- Raw meat added________

Bottle 3- Cooked meat added____________

Talk about the difference between the behavior of the three bottles. Be sure to comment on the possible effect of cooking enzyme activity.

Answer 1

Bottle 1-Nothing added: Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) itself is not flammable by itself but when it comes in contact with the flammable material, it causes spontaneous combustion and supports the combustion to continue as it liberates oxygen and heat on decomposing, H₂O₂ is unstable.

On introducing the tooth pick with fire into the bottle containing H₂O_2, spontaneous combustion occurs as tooth pick with fire is a flammable material and the combustion continues till all the H₂O₂ is decomposed with the release of oxygen & heat and the combustion stops after that because the supply of oxygen from H₂O₂ is stopped, oxygen is required for combustion.

Bottle 2-Raw meat added: On introducing the tooth pick with fire into the bottle containing H₂O₂ and raw meat, fizzling foam is formed as the H₂O₂ is attacked by the enzyme catalase present in the raw meat causing the H₂O₂ to decompose into oxygen & water resulting in fizzling foam. The formation of fizzling foam continues till the all the H₂O₂ is decomposed with the release of oxygen & water.

Bottle 3- Cooked meat added: On introducing the tooth pick with fire into the bottle containing H₂O₂ and cooked meat, spontaneous combustion occurs as the enzyme catalse in cooked meat becomes inactive after cooking and the combustion stops after all the H₂O₂ is decomposed with the release of oxygen & heat.