Question

_____gas is responsible for combustion.

Answer 1

Combustion:

1. Combustion reactions are exothermic reactions, that occur in between oxygen and other fossil fuels like wood, petroleum, etc.
2. It is a spontaneous process.
3. Examples of natural combustion are the burning of wood, combustion of petroleum, etc.
4. An example of synthetic or man-made combustion is a reaction, when hydrocarbons like methane react with Oxygen there is the formation of Carbon Dioxide and Water.

$\underset{\mathrm{Methane}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_4\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{2{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Carbon}\mathrm{dioxide}}{{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}$

Conditions needed for combustion:

1. Availability of combustible substance
2. Supporter for combustion.
3. Heating of the material to the ignition temperature.
4. Supply of fuel.
5. Oxygen

Oxygen is required for combustion because:

1. Oxygen is a very strong oxidizing agent.
2. When it comes to contact with any fuel or compound, Oxygen readily oxidizes them.
3. This produces heat, therefore oxygen is required for combustion.

Hence, oxygen gas is responsible for combustion.