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Chemical decomposition

 

 
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Chemical decomposition
 
 
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Chemical decomposition or analysis is the separation of a chemical compound
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
 into elements
Chemical element

A chemical element is a type of atom that is distinguished by its atomic number; that is, by the number of protons in its atomic nucleus. The term is also used to refer to a pure chemical Chemical substance composed of atoms with the same number of protons....
 or smaller compounds. It is sometimes defined as the opposite of a chemical synthesis
Chemical synthesis

In chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of chemical reactions in order to get a product , or several products. This happens by physics and chemical manipulations usually involving one or more reactions....
. Chemical decomposition is often an undesired chemical reaction
Chemical reaction

A chemical reaction is a process that always results in the interconversion of chemical substances. The substance or substances initially involved in a chemical reaction are called reactants....
. The stability that a chemical compound ordinarily has is eventually limited when exposed to extreme environmental conditions like heat
Heat

In physics and thermodynamics, heat is any transfer of energy from one body or thermodynamic system to another due to a difference in temperature....
, radiation
Radiation

In physics, radiation describes any process in which energy emitted by one body travels through a medium or through space, ultimately to be absorbed by another body....
, humidity
Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a Air parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature....
 or the acidity of a solvent
Solvent

A solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution.The most common solvent in everyday life is water....
. The details of decomposition processes are generally not well defined, as a molecule
Molecule

In chemistry, a molecule is defined as a sufficiently stable, electric charge neutral group of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement held together by very strong chemical bonds....
 may break up into a host of smaller fragments.






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Encyclopedia


Chemical decomposition or analysis is the separation of a chemical compound
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
 into elements
Chemical element

A chemical element is a type of atom that is distinguished by its atomic number; that is, by the number of protons in its atomic nucleus. The term is also used to refer to a pure chemical Chemical substance composed of atoms with the same number of protons....
 or smaller compounds. It is sometimes defined as the opposite of a chemical synthesis
Chemical synthesis

In chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of chemical reactions in order to get a product , or several products. This happens by physics and chemical manipulations usually involving one or more reactions....
. Chemical decomposition is often an undesired chemical reaction
Chemical reaction

A chemical reaction is a process that always results in the interconversion of chemical substances. The substance or substances initially involved in a chemical reaction are called reactants....
. The stability that a chemical compound ordinarily has is eventually limited when exposed to extreme environmental conditions like heat
Heat

In physics and thermodynamics, heat is any transfer of energy from one body or thermodynamic system to another due to a difference in temperature....
, radiation
Radiation

In physics, radiation describes any process in which energy emitted by one body travels through a medium or through space, ultimately to be absorbed by another body....
, humidity
Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a Air parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature....
 or the acidity of a solvent
Solvent

A solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution.The most common solvent in everyday life is water....
. The details of decomposition processes are generally not well defined, as a molecule
Molecule

In chemistry, a molecule is defined as a sufficiently stable, electric charge neutral group of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement held together by very strong chemical bonds....
 may break up into a host of smaller fragments. Chemical decomposition is exploited in several analytical techniques, notably mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique for the determination of the elemental composition of a sample or molecule. It is also used for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and other chemical compounds....
, traditional gravimetric analysis
Gravimetric analysis

Gravimetric analysis describes a set of methods in analytical chemistry for the quantitative determination of an analyte based on the mass of a solid....
, and thermogravimetric analysis
Thermogravimetric analysis

Thermogravimetric Analysis or TGA is a type of testing that is performed on samples to determine changes in weight in relation to change in temperature....
.

A broader definition of the term decomposition also includes the breakdown of one phase into two or more phases.

There are broadly 3 types of decomposition reactions: thermal,elecrolytic and catalytic.

Reaction formulas

The generalized reaction formula for chemical decomposition is:

AB → A + B


with a specific example being the electrolysis
Electrolysis

In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a method of separating Chemical bond chemical compound by passing an electric current through them....
 of water
Water (molecule)

File:Blue-water-pool.jpgWater is the most abundant molecule on Earth's surface, constituting about 70% of the Earth's surface in liquid, solid, and gaseous states....
 to gaseous hydrogen
Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the chemical symbol H. At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, nonmetallic, tasteless, highly combustion and explosive Diatomic molecule gas with the molecular formula H2....
 and oxygen
Oxygen

Oxygen no O2 produced; 2) O2 produced, but absorbed in oceans & seabed rock; 3) O2 starts to gas out of the oceans, but is absorbed by land surfaces and formation of ozone layer; 4-5) O2 sinks filled and the gas accumulates]]...
:

2H2O → 2H2 + O2


Additional examples

An example of spontaneous decomposition is that of hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a very pale blue liquid which appears colorless in a dilute solution, slightly more viscous than water. It is a weak acid....
, which will slowly decompose into water and oxygen:

2H2O2 → 2H2O + O2


Carbonate
Carbonate

In chemistry, a carbonate is a salt or ester of carbonic acid....
s will decompose when heated, a notable exception being that of carbonic acid
Carbonic acid

Carbonic acid has the Molecular formula H2CO3. It is also a name sometimes given to solutions of carbon dioxide in water , which contain small amounts of H2CO3....
, H2CO3. Carbonic acid, the "fizz" in sodas, pop cans and other carbonated beverages, will decompose over time (spontaneously) into carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
 and water

H2CO3 → H2O + CO2


Other carbonates will decompose when heated producing the corresponding metal
Metal

In chemistry, a metal is a chemical element whose atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions , and form metallic bonds between other metal atoms and ionic bonds between nonmetal atoms....
 oxide
Oxide

An oxide is a chemical compound contaning at least one oxygen atom as well as at least one other element. Most of the Earth's crust consists of oxides....
 and carbon dioxide. In the following equation M represents a metal:

MCO3 → MO + CO2


A specific example of this involving calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CalciumCarbonOxygen3. It is a common substance found as Rock in all parts of the world, and is the main component of seashells, snails, and eggshells....
:

CaCO3 → CaO + CO2


Metal chlorate
Chlorate

The chlorate anion has the formula ClO3-. In this case, the chlorine atom is in the +5 oxidation state. "Chlorate" can also refer to chemical compounds containing this anion; Chlorate#Compounds are the salt s of chloric acid....
s also decompose when heated. A metal chloride
Chloride

The chloride ion is formed when the chemical element chlorine picks up one electron to form an anion Cl−....
 and oxygen gas are the products.

MClO3 → MCl + O2


A common decomposition of a chlorate to evolve oxygen utilizes potassium chlorate
Potassium chlorate

Potassium chlorate is a compound containing potassium, chlorine and oxygen, with the chemical formula KClO3. In pure form, it is a white crystalline substance....
 as follows:

2KClO3 → 2KCl + 3O2


See also

  • Analytical chemistry
    Analytical chemistry

    Analytical chemistry is the study of the chemical composition of natural and artificial materials. Unlike other major sub disciplines of chemistry such as inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry, analytical chemistry is not restricted to any particular type of chemical compound or chemical reaction....
  • Thermal decomposition
    Thermal decomposition

    Thermal decomposition, also called thermolysis, is defined as a chemical reaction when a chemical substance breaks up into at least two chemical substances when heated....


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