Hydrogen peroxide vs Sodium hypochlorite: what is the difference?
Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into only water and oxygen, while sodium hypochlorite, household bleach, leaves salt behind and is the stronger disinfectant.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Each molecule's own drawing, as its page shows it. The common core, 1 of 2 atoms, is too small to align on.
Side by side
| Hydrogen peroxide | Sodium hypochlorite | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 34.02 g/molH2O2 | 74.44 g/molClNaO |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 2 | 0 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists |
|
|
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Inorganic compounds | Inorganic compounds |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Everyday chemistry | Everyday chemistry |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Not recorded | Halogenated |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem; ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem | Danger | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | 4,060 mg/kgpure hydrogen peroxide, rat, on the skin | 8,910 mg/kgpure sodium hypochlorite, rat, oral |
| A single acute animal measure, here by two different routes. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem; ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 784 (Hydrogen peroxide) and 23665760 (Sodium hypochlorite).
In more detail
Both are oxidising bleaches sold for household cleaning, and they leave very different residues. Hydrogen peroxide decomposes into water and oxygen and nothing else, which is why it is the one used on fabric and hair where a chlorine smell would be unwelcome. Sodium hypochlorite releases hypochlorous acid in water, which is the active destroyer of stain pigments and microbial proteins, and it leaves salt behind. Bleach is much the stronger disinfectant at ordinary household concentrations. The important practical difference is not on either page alone: bleach mixed with ammonia or with acid releases toxic gases, and peroxide does not do that.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Hydrogen peroxide and Sodium hypochlorite?
- Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into only water and oxygen, while sodium hypochlorite, household bleach, leaves salt behind and is the stronger disinfectant.
- Is Hydrogen peroxide bigger than Sodium hypochlorite?
- Sodium hypochlorite is the heavier molecule, 74.44 g/mol against 34.02 g/mol for Hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is H2O2 and Sodium hypochlorite is ClNaO.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.