Combustion of Hydrocarbons Flashcards

All 5 cards in this deck

What are the only products of the complete combustion of a hydrocarbon?

Carbon dioxide and water.

What is the balanced equation for the complete combustion of methane?

$\mathrm{CH_4 + 2O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + 2H_2O}$

What are the steps to balance an equation for complete combustion?

e.g. ethene, $\mathrm{C_2H_4}$

1. Put each carbon into a $\mathrm{CO_2}$: $2\mathrm{CO_2}$
2. Put each pair of hydrogens into an $\mathrm{H_2O}$: $2\mathrm{H_2O}$
3. Count the oxygen atoms on the right (6) and balance with $\mathrm{O_2}$: $\mathrm{C_2H_4 + 3O_2 \rightarrow 2CO_2 + 2H_2O}$

True or false? Complete combustion of a hydrocarbon is an oxidation reaction.

True. The carbon and hydrogen in the hydrocarbon are oxidised by oxygen to carbon dioxide and water.

True or false? Alkenes give different products from alkanes when burned completely.

False. Complete combustion of both alkanes and alkenes gives carbon dioxide and water only.