Question

Liquid pentane (C5H12) reacts with gaseous oxygen to form carbon dioxide and liquid water. Express your answer as a chemical equation. Identify all of the phases in your answer.

Answer 1

Answer: The balanced chemical equation is written below.

Explanation:

Combustion reactions are defined as the chemical reactions in which a hydrocarbon reacts with oxygen gas to produce carbon dioxide and water. Heat is released during these reactions.

$\text{Hydrocarbon}+O_2\rightarrow CO_2+H_2O$

The chemical equation for the combustion of pentane follows:

$C_5H_{12}(l)+8O_2(g)\rightarrow 5CO_2(g)+6H_2O(l)$

By Stoichiometry of the reaction:

1 mole of liquid pentane reacts with 8 moles of gaseous oxygen to produce 5 moles of carbon dioxide gas and 6 moles of liquid water.

Hence, the balanced chemical equation is written above.