What is the common name for H2O2?

What is the common name for H2O2? It is hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide is a compound made of two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. Its formula resembles water’s H2O, but the extra oxygen gives it very different chemical properties. Pure hydrogen peroxide is a very pale blue liquid; dilute solutions usually look colorless.

It is best known as an oxidizing and bleaching agent. Household products commonly contain about 3% hydrogen peroxide in water, while stronger concentrations have industrial uses and can be hazardous. It can decompose into water and oxygen, especially when exposed to heat, light, or catalysts such as the enzyme catalase.

A common mix-up is calling H2O2 “oxygenated water.” Water is H2O, whereas hydrogen peroxide contains an oxygen–oxygen bond. The compound was described in the nineteenth century by Louis Jacques Thénard, who called it “oxygenated water” in French.