Chemical decomposition

The stability of a chemical compound is eventually limited when exposed to extreme environmental conditions such as heat, radiation, humidity, or the acidity of a solvent.

It is this process which powers the life-saving airbags present in virtually all of today's automobiles.

[3] In the breakdown of a compound into its constituent parts, the generalized reaction for chemical decomposition is: An example is the electrolysis of water to the gases hydrogen and oxygen: An example of a spontaneous (without addition of an external energy source) decomposition is that of hydrogen peroxide which slowly decomposes into water and oxygen (see video at right): This reaction is one of the exceptions to the endothermic nature of decomposition reactions.

The latter being the reason some chemical compounds, such as many prescription medicines, are kept and stored in dark bottles which reduce or eliminate the possibility of light reaching them and initiating decomposition.

In this type of decomposition reaction, a metal chloride and oxygen gas are the products.