SCH Assignment: Hydrogen Peroxide - The Genie In The Bottle
Read the article “The Genie In The Bottle” by Dr. Joe Schwarcz and answer the following
questions. Bring in your answers to class and you will transfer them to a scantron card.
1. The smoke effect in the show I Dream of Jeannie was accomplished by
decomposing hydrogen peroxide. Which of the following correctly shows the
decomposition of hydrogen peroxide?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
H2O2  H2 + O2
H2O  H2 + O2
H2O2  H2O + H2
H2O2  H2O + O2
none of the above
2. Why is hydrogen peroxide sold in brown bottles?
a. brown colouring agents are inexpensive to produce
b. hydrogen peroxide is photosensitive and the brown colour protects the H2O2
from dangerously decomposing in a closed bottle
c. brown colouring agents are less massive and help to lighten the weight for
transport
d. the brown colour goes well with the white shelving in the stores
e. all of the above
3. What is a catalyst?
a. a substance that decreases the rate of a chemical reaction without being
permanently consumed
b. a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction while being
permanently consumed
c. a substance that decreases the rate of a chemical reaction while being
permanently consumed
d. a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being
permanently consumed
e. none of the above
4. Which catalyst was most likely used to decompose the H2O2 to produce the
“smoke” effect?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
hemoglobin
catalase
glutathione peroxidase
manganese(IV) oxide
none of the above
5. To differentiate between a reactant and a catalyst, the name or the formula of
the catalyst used is written:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
in brackets before the reactants
in brackets after the products
above the “reacts to form” arrow “”
any of the above are used
none of above
6. What is the “smoke” in the “smoke” effect?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
carbon soot
oxygen gas
water vapour
condensed water
none of the above
7. What is an enzyme?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
one of the fat-soluble vitamins
one of the water-soluble vitamins
a biological catalyst
a general term for a product of a decomposition reaction
none of the above
8. Which of the following are enzymes that can decompose H2O2?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
catalase
glutathione peroxidase
hemoglobin
all of the above
none of the above
9. What is meant by “has peroxidase activity”?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
able to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen
able to synthesize hydrogen peroxide from water and oxygen
able to decompose hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen
able to synthesize water from hydrogen and oxygen
none of the above
10.Why do our bodies have enzymes that have peroxidase activity?
a. we need to be able to digest hydrogen peroxide if we drink some
b. hydrogen peroxide is a natural by-product of metabolism which can release
free radicals linked to cancer if it is not dealt with
c. our body needs to use them to convert water and oxygen into hydrogen
peroxide in case our bodies have too much water
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
11.What is a free radical?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
an entity that has an unpaired e- making it highly reactive
any positive or negative ion
a neutral, inert entity
a compound of Xe and F
none of the above
The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is involved in the diagnostic medical
test for occult (hidden) blood in feces. The process involves a series of chemical
reactions. Questions 12 – 14 relate to this.
12.Reaction 1
A colourless form of tetramethylbenzidine is mixed with __________ to produce
hydrogen peroxide.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
water
acetic acid
sodium hydroxide
strontium peroxide
none of the above
13.Reaction 2:
The hydrogen peroxide produced will then decompose to release __________ if
__________ is present in the feces.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
water, blood
oxygen, water
blood, water
hydrogen, oxygen
oxygen, blood
14.Reaction 3:
Any oxygen that may have been produced in reaction 2 will react with the
tetramethylbenzidine to convert the tetramethylbenzidine to its oxidized form
which appears __________. This signals the presence of occult blood.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
red
orange
yellow
green
blue
Hydrogen peroxide is also used to detect the presence of blood at a crime
scene. Even if the perpetrator tries to clean up the blood, remnants will remain
which can be detected. Questions 15 – 16 relate to this.
15.A chemical reaction that produces light is called:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
combustion
phosphorescence
chemiluminescence
fluorescence
none of the above
16.If blood is present, then hemoglobin will catalyze the breakdown of hydrogen
peroxide to release oxygen. The oxygen will react with __________ releasing
characteristic light as evidence.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
ethanol
acetone
methane
ethylene glycol
luminol
17.Peroxide is a metabolic by-product produced by living things including humans
and bacteria. The green iridescence seen on various types of cold cuts is a telltale sign of the presence of bacteria. The green iridescence is the result of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
the reaction between myoglobin and the packaging material
the reaction between hemoglobin and myoglobin
the reaction between water and hemoglobin
the reaction of myoglobin and bacteria-produced peroxide
none of the above
18.What did the Germans use the “genie” for during WWII?
a.
b.
c.
d.
to power the Komet
to send out S.O.S. signals
to put on chemistry demonstration shows for their soldiers
to power the pumps that delivered fuel and oxygen to the combustion
chamber of the V2 rocket
e. both a. and d.
19.What did Bell Aerosystems in the United States use the “genie” for after WWII?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
to make a hit T.V. sitcom
to make a personal jet pack
to develop a top secret spy plane
to power a hot-air balloon
none of the above