Although water is the most common hydrogen-oxygen compound, hydrogen and oxygen
form another compound called hydrogen peroxide, H202. Hydrogen peroxide was first
obtained by treating barium peroxide with an acid. Very small quantities of hydrogen
peroxide are present in dew, rain, and snow because of the action of ultraviolet light on
oxygen and water vapor.
Hydrogen peroxide has many different applications, depending upon its concentration. A 3
percent solution is used in the home as a mild antiseptic and germicide. A 30 percent
solution is used in industry as a bleaching agent because of the permanency of the
whiteness it produces. Concentrations of 90 percent are used as oxidizing agents in
rockets and high explosives.
According to the information in the passage, what can we predict that adding water to an
industrial-strength hydrogen peroxide solution will result in?
A. an antiseptic
B. an explosion
C.a new substance
D. a rocket fuel
E. a bleaching agent
