barium peroxide

8.8

A white poisonous powder once used to bleach cloth and make hydrogen peroxide

noun
/ˈbɛəriəm pərˈɒksaɪd/

Specialized

: peróxido de bario

The chemical formula for barium peroxide is BaO₂.

Examples

Early methods for producing hydrogen peroxide involved reacting barium peroxide with sulfuric acid.
Many industries have used barium peroxide for bleaching purposes.
Exposure to barium peroxide can cause serious health problems if proper precautions are not taken.
The laboratory handled the barium peroxide with care due to its toxic nature.
The laboratory handled the barium peroxide with care due to its toxic nature.
Exposure to barium peroxide can cause serious health problems if proper precautions are not taken.
Many industries have used barium peroxide for bleaching purposes.

Synonyms

barium dioxide

vsbarium peroxide

Specialized

8.6

A white poisonous powder used to add oxygen in chemical reactions

is the same powder but noted for bleaching and making hydrogen peroxide

Surface Forms

barium peroxide singular

barium peroxides plural

Morphology

barium + peroxide

The phrase is a straightforward compound naming the peroxide of the element barium—so its meaning as a barium-containing peroxide follows directly from combining 'barium' and 'peroxide'. This element+compound naming pattern is standard and cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it is a chemical compound of barium and peroxide (even if they may not know detailed properties).

Etymology

Barium peroxide tells you what it is: metal barium joined with a peroxide group, meaning it has 'extra oxygen' atoms. That's why it is an oxygen-rich barium compound used for 'bleaching' and to make 'hydrogen peroxide'.