Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 8: Problem 138

In the chapter, we saw the combustion reaction for methane. This was actually a complete combustion reaction because carbon ended up as carbon dioxide. If the same reaction is carried out where the oxygen supply is limited, incomplete combustion takes place, yielding toxic carbon monoxide, CO, instead of \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\). Write the balanced reaction for the incomplete combustion of methane. Make sure it is balanced.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The balanced equation for the incomplete combustion of methane is: \(CH_4 + \frac{3}{2}O_2 \rightarrow CO + 2H_2O\).

Step by step solution

01

Write down the incomplete combustion equation

The incomplete combustion of methane involves the reaction between methane (CH4) and oxygen (O2) to give carbon monoxide (CO) and water (H2O). The unbalanced equation is: CH4 + O2 -> CO + H2O
02

Balance the equation

To balance this equation, we need to ensure that we have equal amounts of each element on both sides of the reaction. 1. Carbon (C) has one atom on either side, so it is already balanced. 2. Hydrogen (H) has 4 atoms on the left side and 2 atoms on the right side. To balance this, we need to multiply the water (H2O) by 2. CH4 + O2 -> CO + 2H2O 3. Now, we have 2 oxygen atoms on the left side and 3 oxygen atoms on the right side (1 from CO and 2 from 2H2O). In order to balance the oxygen atoms, we can multiply the oxygen (O2) by 3/2. So, the balanced equation for incomplete combustion of methane becomes: CH4 + 3/2O2 -> CO + 2H2O

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Carbon dioxide gas and calcium oxide are produced when calcium carbonate, \(\mathrm{CaCO}_{3}\), is heated strongly. Write the balanced equation for this process.

Write a balanced chemical equation for each reaction: (a) Calcium metal reacts with solid phosphorus, \(\mathrm{P}_{4}\), to form calcium phosphide. (b) Sodium metal reacts with water to produce aqueous sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. (c) Ammonium nitrate powder explodes to form nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor.

Aqueous solutions of calcium chloride and potassium carbonate are combined. Does a precipitate form? If yes, write a net ionic equation for the precipitation reaction.

Balance this chemical equation by inspection: \(\mathrm{KClO}_{3} \rightarrow \mathrm{KCl}+\mathrm{O}_{2}\)

Acids produce ions when dissolved in water, and bases produce ions when dissolved in water.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Kinetics

Read Explanation

Making Measurements

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

The Earths Atmosphere

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free