Barium oxide facts for kids
Barium oxide is a special kind of chemical compound. Think of it as a tiny building block made from two different parts: barium and oxygen. Its chemical formula is BaO, which means it has one barium atom and one oxygen atom joined together.
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What Barium Oxide Looks Like and Does
Barium oxide is a white, solid material. It looks a bit like a white powder or small white lumps. When you put barium oxide in water, it dissolves. It then forms another substance called barium hydroxide. It also reacts with acids. When this happens, it creates different kinds of barium salts.
How Barium Oxide is Made
Scientists and chemists can make barium oxide in a few ways. One common method is to heat barium carbonate together with carbon. This heating process helps to create barium oxide. It also stops another chemical, barium peroxide, from forming by mistake. Another way to make barium oxide is by heating barium nitrate.
Cool Uses for Barium Oxide
Barium oxide has several interesting uses in different industries. It can be added to glass. Sometimes, it is used instead of lead(II) oxide to make certain types of glass. It is also used in older televisions and computer screens. These screens are called cathode ray tubes. Barium oxide can also work as a catalyst. A catalyst is a substance that helps chemical reactions happen faster without being used up itself.
Safety Information
It is very important to know that barium oxide is dangerous. It is very toxic if someone accidentally eats it. Always handle chemicals like barium oxide with great care and under adult supervision.
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See also
In Spanish: Óxido de bario para niños
