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Chapter 22: Problem 33

A piece of red-hot magnesium ribbon will continue to burn in an atmosphere of \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) even though \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) does not support combustion. Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Magnesium can continue to burn in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide because it is able to thermally decompose the carbon dioxide molecule, obtaining the oxygen it needs to continue burning. The heat from the burning magnesium breaks the carbon dioxide down into magnesium oxide and carbon, with the magnesium oxide being the white ash that forms during the burning process. This is an exothermic reaction, and it is the reason why magnesium can burn even in an atmosphere that does not typically support combustion.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Chemical Behaviour of Magnesium

Magnesium is a highly reactive metal. If magnesium is heated, it will burn with a bright white flame. If burning magnesium is placed in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide, it will continue to burn.
02

Explain Why CO2 Does Not Usually Support Combustion

Carbon dioxide does not usually support combustion. This is because combustion needs oxygen to occur, and carbon dioxide is commonly used as an extinguishing agent because it starves a fire of oxygen, preventing the combustion reaction from continuing.
03

Understand the Reaction Between Magnesium and Carbon Dioxide

Magnesium can break apart carbon dioxide molecules at high temperatures. It reacts with the carbon dioxide to form magnesium oxide and carbon. This is demonstrated through the chemical equation: \( \mathrm{2Mg} + \mathrm{CO}_{2} \rightarrow \mathrm{2MgO} + \mathrm{C} \). This is an exothermic reaction, meaning it gives off heat.
04

Explain Why Magnesium Continues to Burn in CO2

In this process, the magnesium actually obtains the required oxygen for burning (combustion) from the carbon dioxide itself, allowing it to continue to burn even in the presence of carbon dioxide. So, the key reason why magnesium can burn in CO2 is that it is able to decompose the \( \mathrm{CO}_{2} \) to obtain the oxygen it needs to continue burning, even though \( \mathrm{CO}_{2} \) does not typically support combustion.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Use the VSEPR method to predict the geometries of the following species: (a) \(\mathrm{I}_{3}^{-},\) (b) \(\mathrm{SiCl}_{4},\) (c) \(\mathrm{PF}_{5}\), (d) \(\mathrm{SF}_{4}\).

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