CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY

Just a quick question about a trend I have noticed in some of the homework problems. Does combustion of a substance always result in the product of CO2 and water (among other compounds that correspond with elements in the reactants)?

Yes, combustion (anything that burns or is burning) always has the product of carbon dioxide and water.

Combustion reactions can have any number of products, depending on the reactants. The two products that are present in every combustion reaction are CO2 and H2O.

Yes, carbon dioxide and water vapor will always be produced in combustion, but depending on the reactants and due to conservation of mass, other products may be produced. In example H.19, nitrogen is one of the reactants, so it therefore must also be a product. That is why you would get carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrogen gas.

In addition, Oxygen must be present in order for a combustion reaction to occur. In most cases, Oxygen is in excess because it is found in the atmosphere. i.e. When we burn Butane in an outdoor barbecue, we have an excess Oxygen.

Depending on the nature of reaction, I believe Energy and Carbon can also be products of combustion alongside Carbon Dioxide and Water!

For example, if you did an experiment with a burning candle. If you were to place a copper wire near the flame of the candle, the flame would go away. This is because the copper is conducting energy away from the flame. There would be evidence of Carbon if you were to place some sort of glass over the flame. Soot would collect on the glass; soot is the collection of free Carbon atoms that haven't been burned.

One thing to note though, is that the resulting water is actually water vapor, which previous replies have stated but i just wanted to make it clear. Thus both products, CO2 and H2O are in gaseous states

A combustion reaction always results in the production of CO2 and H20 in gaseous form.

For the sake of simplicity and this class, complete combustion always results in the production of gaseous H2O and CO2. In reality, combustion produces many other compounds, such as CO.

Yes, in a combustion equation the reactants will always be whatever compound is burning and oxygen (O2) and the products will always be carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O).