PREPARATION OF OXYGEN

Lab preparation of oxygen

To prepare oxygen; you would need the following apparatus: 

1.Test tubes 
2.Manganese (IV) dioxide (MnO2) 
3. Hydrogen peroxide (it must be fresh and kept away from light)(H2O2) 
4. Wooden splinter (only needed if you are going to check how oxygen helps in combustion). 
5.Candle and matchsticks. 


Method: 

1.First, take the test tube and put a little bit of MnO2 (Manganese dioxide) 
2. At this time, you will need a friend's or someone else's help (only if you are requiring it to check how oxygen helps in combustion). First, tell your friend to light the candle and to ignite the splinter using the candle. At that time, take a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in a beaker or test tube. Then, tell him/her to to bring the wooden splinter close to the test tube. As soon as he/she brings it, put a little bit of hydrogen peroxide (not more than 1ml). You should see the reaction forming a gas, which looks like smoke. This gas is Oxygen. 
3. What happens to the splinter when you bring it close to Oxygen? Of course! 
The splinter burns more brightly and intensely. 
4. Should you want to only collect Oxygen, you need not do the second part of the second step. 

Precautions: 
1. Do not drop the test tubes. 
2. Always wear gloves while performing chemical experiments. 
3. Always wear lab coats while doing the same. 
4. Do NOT eat or manganese oxide or rub them on your eyes. Serious problems may occur, which even might result in blindness or death. 
5. Do NOT put warmed hydrogen peroxide on your skin. You might get a boil. 
6. Never stand too close to the test tube. 
7. If you are untrained, always seek for someone who is better at you in performing lab experiments, or anyone who already has done the lab preparation of Oxygen. 
8. Keep H2O2 and MnO2 away from children. 
9. If Oxygen gets into your eyes and you get an irritation, wash your eyes with cold water immediately