Question

Ethane is a very combustible gas. Write a balanced equation for the complete oxidation reaction that occurs when ethane (C2H6) burns in air. Use the smallest possible integer coefficients.

Answer 1

Answer: $2C_2H_6+7O_2\rightarrow 4CO_2+6H_2O$

Explanation:

Combustion is a chemical reaction in which hydrocarbons are burnt in the presence of oxygen to give carbon dioxide and water.

According to the law of conservation of mass, mass can neither be created nor be destroyed. Thus the mass of products formed must be equal to the mass of reactants taken. In order to get the same mass on both sides, the atoms of each element must be balanced on both sides of the chemical equation.

The balanced combustion reaction is,:

$2C_2H_6+7O_2\rightarrow 4CO_2+6H_2O$