Carolina Chemonstrations®: Elephant Toothpaste

Enrich your students' study of kinetics, catalysts, and decomposition reactions. Students make a prediction about the demonstration based on prior knowledge, observe the spectacular foaming action from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, and then explain their observations on a particulate level. The demonstration illustrates the effect of a catalyst on reaction kinetics and reinforces the importance of catalysts in living and physical systems. Materials are sufficient for 5 demonstrations.