Decomposition and Balancing Equations

I really hope we do the elephant toothpaste experiment in class! According to this website about the uses of hydrogen peroxide, elephant toothpaste can be made by decomposing (with the help of catalyst)...well, hydrogen peroxide!


A viscous liquid with strong oxidizing properties!

Hydrogen peroxide decomposes into oxygen and water. The oxygen rapidly tries to escape the container, thus provoking the fast explosive reaction of elephant toothpaste. The soap that was mixed in with the water in the experiment begins to foam. The oxygen further promotes the bubbles to foam.

And ta-da! Elephant toothpaste.

Food coloring adds to the mystery!

On a lighter note...balancing equations is also something I enjoy!
This is a great guide for helping.

For example,
2NaCL + H2So4 -> Na2So4 + 2HCl
That's balanced! Before it looked like:
NaCl + H2So4 -> Na2SO4 + HCl
That's not balanced. x_X See?