BALANCING COMBUSTION EQUATIONS

As you have learned, there is not always a straightforward way to balance a reaction.  We apply try and error, until it works.

Combustion reactions are easier!

The only thing you need to do is to follow an order for balancing the reaction.

The correct order is: “CHO”, carbon, hydrogen and then, oxygen.

We will balance pentane:

C₅H₁₂ + O₂ ->   CO₂ +  H₂O

Step 1 balance carbon:  you see 5 carbons on the left so you know it will produce 5 CO₂.

C₅H₁₂ + O₂ ->  5 CO₂ +  H₂O

Step 2 balance hydrogen:  you see 12 hydrogens on the left so you know it will produce 6 H₂O.

C₅H₁₂ + O₂ ->  5 CO₂ +  6 H₂O

Step 3 balance oxygen:  you see 10+6 or 16 oxygens on the right so you know it will require 8 O₂.

C₅H₁₂ + 8 O₂ ->  5 CO₂ +  6 H₂O

Sometimes you get an odd number of oxygens on the right which leads to a fraction in front of O₂.

Your steps then will be:

1) balance carbon
2) balance hydrogen
3) balance oxygen
4)  Multiply by 2 if you have a fraction.

Lets try a harder problem, hexane:

C₆H₁₄ + O₂ ->   CO₂ +  H₂O

Step 1 balance carbon:  you see 6 carbons on the left so you know it will produce 6 CO₂.

C₆H₁₄ + O₂ ->  6 CO₂ +  H₂O

Step 2 balance hydrogen:  you see 14 hydrogens on the left so you know it will produce 7 H₂O.

C₆H₁₄ + O₂ ->  6 CO₂ + 7 H₂O

                              (6×2=12 oxygens)   (7×1=7 oxygens)

Step 3 balance oxygen:  you see 12+7 or 19 oxygens on the right so you know it will require 19/2 or eight and a half O₂.

C₆H₁₄ + 19/2 O₂ ->  6 CO₂ + 7 H₂O

Step 4  To get rid of the fraction, we multiply all the coefficients by 2.

2 C₆H₁₄ + 19 O₂ ->  12 CO₂ + 14 H₂O

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Now you try it…………

Combustion reactions Worksheet

• Copy the following exercises,
• Write the equation for the complete combustion of the substances in oxygen
• Balance the equations

1. Methane (CH₄) + Oxygen
2. Ethane (C₂H₆) + oxygen
3. Propane (C₃H₈) + oxygen
4. Butane (C₄H10) + oxygen
5. Pentane (C₅H₁₂) + oxygen
6. Hexane (C₆H₁₄) + oxygen
7. Ethene (C₂H₄) + oxygen
8. Ethyne (C₂H₂) + oxygen
9. Benzene (C₆H₆) + oxygen
10. Ethanol (C₂H₅OH)
11. Propanol (C₃H₇OH)
12. Acetone (C₃H₆O)
13. Toluene (C₆H₅CH₃)
14. Octanol (C₈H₁₅OH)
15. Decane (C₁₀H₂₂)

How to balance combustion equations (ANOTHER METHOD)

Combustion reactions can also be balanced using the formulas below. After you balance the equations at the top, verify that your results agree with the following general formulas.

• Hydrocarbons:

CxHy + (x + y/4) O2 → x CO2 + y/2 H2O

• Compounds containing oxygen too

CxHyOz + (x + y/4 – z) O2 → x CO2 + y/2 H2O