Final answer:
Yeast is not a catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide; it is false to claim that it catalyzes this reaction. Instead, yeast is involved in alcoholic fermentation, which produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. Catalysts like catalase or manganese (IV) oxide are responsible for decomposing hydrogen peroxide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that yeast was the catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into oxygen gas and water is false. Yeast performs alcoholic fermentation which produces ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, not water and oxygen. The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen requires a different kind of catalyst, such as the enzyme catalase found in many living cells, or inorganic substances like manganese (IV) oxide. These catalysts work by providing an alternative reaction pathway that has a lower activation energy barrier, thus increasing the rate at which hydrogen peroxide decomposes into water and oxygen.