Question

Briefly describe the following chemical reaction (use examples with balanced
equations):
Combustion

Answer 1

A combustion reaction is a type of chemical reaction in which a compound and an oxidant are reacted to produce heat and a new product. The general form of combustion reaction can be represented by the reaction between a hydrocarbon and oxygen, which yields carbon dioxide and water:

$2C_2H_2 + 5O_2 \rightarrow 4CO_2+2H_2O + heat$

$2H_2 +O_2\rightarrow 2H_2O + heat$

To recognize a combustion reaction we should look for oxygen in the reactant side of the equation and the release of heat on the product side.