Question

Carbon in wood reacts with oxygen in the air to give carbon dioxide gas.
Which among the following is the correct representation of this chemical reaction?

• A. $\text{C(g)}+{\text{O}}_2\text{(g)}\to {\text{CO}}_2\text{(g)}$
• B. $\text{C(s)}+{\text{O}}_2\text{(g)}\to {\text{CO}}_2\text{(g)}$
• C. $\text{C(s)}+2\text{O(g)}\to {\text{CO}}_2\text{(g)}$
• D. $\text{C(g)}+2\text{O(g)}\to {\text{CO}}_2\text{(g)}$

Answer 1

The correct option is B $\text{C(s)}+{\text{O}}_2\text{(g)}\to {\text{CO}}_2\text{(g)}$

To represent a chemical reaction, a chemical equation is written with the reactants on the left hand side and the products on the right hand side of an arrow, going from left to right.
A + B $\to$ C

In the given reaction, reactants are carbon in wood (solid) and oxygen (gas); which form carbon dioxide gas as the product. The chemical equation can be written as:
$\text{C(s)}+{\text{O}}_2\text{(g)}\to {\text{CO}}_2\text{(g)}$