CHEMICAL REACTIONS

8.4 - Types of Reactions

Combustion reactions

When a substance that is made up of:

• carbon and hydrogen (examples: methane, CH₄; ethane, C₂H₆; propane, C₃H₈;)
• carbon hydrogen and oxygen (examples: methyl alcohol, CH₃O_H; ethyl alcohol, C₂H₅OH; propyl alcohol, C₃H₅OH;)

undergoes complete combustion (ie - burning with oxygen gas), the products are carbon dioxide gas and water.

Combustion reactions:	Combustion of octane, C8H18, a substance that is present in gasoline.
	2 C8H18 (l) + 25O2 (g) 2CO2 (g) + 3H2O (l)
	Combustion of propyl alcohol yields carbon dioxide and water
	2 CH3CH2CH2OH (l) + 9O2 (g) 6CO2 (g) + 8H2O (l)
see section 8.3.1 for review in balancing of chemical reactions

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