Final answer:
A developer for permanent hair coloring requires hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent to become active, not ammonia or color stabilizer. Hydrogen peroxide initiates the chemical reaction by oxidizing the diamine compound, crucial for the coloring process.
Step-by-step explanation:
To become active, a developer in the context of permanent hair coloring needs to be mixed with an oxidant, specifically hydrogen peroxide, as opposed to ammonia or color stabilizer. Permanent hair coloring involves a chemical process where an oxidizing agent is crucial to initiate the reaction. The said developer often contains an agent like hydrogen peroxide to catalyze the reaction. The oxidation process involves converting the diamine compound into a quinone form, which then reacts with a coupler to form a new compound that—after further oxidation—becomes the final hair dye. While ammonia is typically used to open the hair cuticle and allow the dye to enter, it is not the oxidizing agent that is needed to activate the developer.
Ammonia itself is a compound with the formula NH3, known for its pungent smell and its use in household cleaners, such as smelling salts due to its vaporizing abilities. Nevertheless, for hair dye developers, hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent is the critical element to mix with the developer to kick-start the dyeing process.