February 25, 2011


This is what a hydrogen peroxide molecule looks like. There are arrows pointing from the hydrogen atoms towards the oxygen atoms, because hydrogen atoms are less electronegative. Hydrogen peroxide has a bent shape and is a polar molecule.



It may seem odd that hydrogen peroxide has a bent shape. When the Lewis structure is drawn it looks similar to this:   H-O-O-H    , with two unshared pairs on each of the oxygen. This may appear to be a linear shaped molecule, but after further research this is not the case. Hydrogen peroxide has two equivalent central atoms with two unshared pairs and two single bonds. This creates an angled bond, creating the bent shape of the molecule. Also, because the atoms do not all lie in the same plane, the dipoles do not cancel eachother out. So, hydrogen peroxide is a polar molecule..


 It appears as a colorless liquid and almost looks like water, but it is denser. The bond between the two oxygen atoms of the molecule is very weak, so the molecule can very easily break down, making it very reactive and powerful. It is used as a powerful bleaching agent and as a mild disinfectant. Hydrogen peroxide is very common around households because there are many uses for it. However, hydrogen peroxide bought by consumers usually only contains about 3% of hydrogen peroxide and the rest of the mixture is water, so it is not as dangerous. Hydrogen peroxide is usually sold in dark colored bottles so that the substance is not exposed to sunlight because the exposure to sun rays can easily break the bond between the two oxygen atoms in the molecule, leaving you with a bottle of water and oxygen gas.


Between two hydrogen peroxide molecules, there are three Forces of Attraction Present:
1) London Dispersion Forces - this force is present because electrons are constantly in motion, so 1 end of a polar molecule can be temporarily positive or temporarily negative; because of these temporary dipoles two  molecules can be attracted to eachother.
2) Dipole Forces- electrostatic attraction between the positive end of one molecule with the negative end of another.
3) Hydrogen Bonds- a temporary covalent bond that is formed between a hydrogen atom of one molecule and an oxygen, fluorine, or nitrogen of another.