Adecomposition reactionoccurs when one reactant breaks down into two or more products. It can be represented by the general equation:

AB → A + B

In this equation, AB represents the reactant that begins the reaction, and A and B represent the products of the reaction. The arrow shows the direction in which the reaction occurs.

What is the chemical equation for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) towater(H2O) and oxygen (O2)?

The equation for this decomposition reaction is:

2 H2O2→ 2 H2O + O2

Other Examples of Decomposition Reactions

Two more examples of decomposition reactions are described below.

Carbonicacid(H2CO3) is an ingredient in soft drinks. A decomposition reaction takes place when carbonicacidbreaks down to producewater(H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). This occurs when you open a can of soft drink and some of the carbon dioxide fizzes out. The equation for this reaction is:

H2CO3→ H2O + CO2

Another decomposition reaction occurs when water (H2O) breaks down to produce hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) gases (seeFigurebelow). This happens when an electriccurrentpasses through the water, as illustrated below. The equation for this reaction is:

2 H2O → 2 H2+ O