Epic Explosion: Hydrogen Peroxide Science Experiment

What makes hydrogen peroxide explode in this elephant’s toothpaste experiment? Museum Educator Jeannine explains how hydrogen peroxide is composed of two atoms of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen, which usually break down very slowly into water and oxygen gas. But potassium iodine can be used as a catalyst to cause the hydrogen peroxide to break down faster in an exothermic reaction. This reaction produces both heat, and a foamy explosion when oxygen gas gets trapped in the soap bubbles thanks to the addition of soap!