Question

Give a balanced chemical equation for ${\mathrm{CH}}_4$ reacting with oxygen gas to produce water and carbon dioxide?

Answer 1

Combustion of methane (${\mathrm{CH}}_4$):-

1. Reaction of Hydrocarbons with oxygen, producing carbon dioxide$\left({\mathrm{CO}}_2\right)$, heat, and light as the products is called combustion.
2. When methane (${\mathrm{CH}}_4$) reacts with oxygen, it produces carbon dioxide and water vapor $\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\right)$.
3. This reaction is exothermic in nature.
4. The complete balanced equation is: $\underset{\mathrm{Methane}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_4\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{2{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Carbon}\mathrm{dioxide}}{{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}\mathrm{vapor}}{2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}$.
5. Also the generalized reaction for the combustion of alkanes are: $\underset{\mathrm{Alkane}}{{\mathrm{C}}_{\mathrm{n}}{\mathrm{H}}_{2\mathrm{n}+2}}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{\frac{(3\mathrm{n}+1)}{2}{\mathrm{O}}_2}\to \underset{\mathrm{Carbon}\mathrm{dioxide}}{{\mathrm{nCO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{(\mathrm{n}+1){\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}$