Combustion Equations

[206034540]

Hi all! I was wondering, when given the reactant or reactants of a certain combustion reaction and asked to solve for the products or best estimate them based on prior knowledge, how should we go about finding the exact reactants if only given a singular compound or molecule?

[laurence14b2f]

Hey! I've wondered something similar before and have just come to the conclusion that when you're given a single compound or molecule and need to estimate the products of a combustion reaction, it's a good idea to just consider common combustion products. Typically, for hydrocarbons, you can expect something like CO2 or H2O as the primary products. For other substances, I try to think about what elements are present and what they're likely to combine with during combustion. Hope this helps!

[Leia1H]

The combustion of a hydrocarbon will always result in the products of CO2, H2O, and heat and light. From there, you can balance the equation as needed.