At high altitudes, the partial pressure of oxygen is too low for humans to function normally (see pp. 16–18). Pressurised commercial aircraft carry emergency oxygen generators. In the event of cabin depressurisation they supply oxygen to passengers via masks that automatically drop down from above the seats (Figure 1). Pulling on the masks triggers an ignitor that starts a chemical reaction to generate oxygen.
One method involves the decomposition of sodium chlorate (NaClO3 ), a powerful oxidising agent that releases oxygen in an exothermic reaction (a chemical reaction in which heat is released into the surroundings):
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