Most fuels are compounds of carbon and hydrogen - many also contain sulfur
What happens during the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels?
Both carbon and hydrogen are oxidised , energy is released ,and waste products are produced, which are released into the atmosphere
What happens if the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels is incomplete?
Carbon monoxide , unburnt fuels , and solid particles containing soot (carbon) may be released
Carbon monoxide is a colourless , odourless and toxic gas
Solid particles in the air , called particulates , can cause globaldimming by reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface - They can also cause damage people's lungs
Due to the high temperature reached when fuels burn , nitrogen in the air can react with oxygen to form nitrogenoxides - these gases can cause people to have respiratory problems, - these gases also react with with rain water to form acidrain , which can cause damage to plants and buildings
Sulfur can be removed from fuels before burning ( in motor vehicles ), and removed from the waste gases after combustion ( in power stations )
Carbon ( burned with plenty of oxygen ) ----> carbondioxide - The symbol equation for this is : C + O₂ --> CO₂
Carbon ( burned with limited oxygen ) ---> carbonmonoxide - The symbol equation for this is : 2C + O₂ --> 2CO
Hydrogen ( burned with oxygen ) ---> watervapour - The symbol equation for this is 2H₂ + O₂ --> 2H₂O
Sulfur ( burned with oxygen ) --> sulfurdioxide - The symbol equation for this is : S + O₂ --> SO₂
What is the balanced symbol equation for the complete combustion of methane?
