Cheng Tong Wen 2P305 (Science Assignment)

Hydrogen peroxide sited from : http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090413071724AAaoSuL

Hydrogen(H)+hydrogen(H)+Oxygen(O)+Oxygen(O)= H2O2
H-O-O-H
Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidiser due to the extra oxygen and so oxidises living tissue and so is harmful. All body chemicals can be killed by oxidation (some is needed to generate energy for life) but too much oxygen kills tissue. its because hydrogen peroxide has one too many oxygen atom for it to be stable so it tries to break down into water plus oxygen which then oxidises surrounding material. A couple of different things can happen with that bond. It can cleave down the middle leaving 2 free radicals for example. Like this (H-O-O-H ----> 2 H-O)

a free radical is an atom with an unpaired electron and oxygen free radicals are very reactive. They tend to break apart other bonds and destroy other molecules. Like organic molecules found in your body. Those free radicals also tend to oxidized things.