Hello,

 

I have a question, in a book i read that CH4 + O2 = CO2 + H20. Now I notice that there are 3 oxygen oxygen in the reactants and only three are there in the products. From where did that extra molecule come? I also notice that there are 4 hydrogen atoms in the reactans and only two in the products...did those hydrogen atoms "rearrange" themseleves to form oxygen molecules???

 

What did happen???

 

Encrypted

this should have gone in the chem section, and i take it will be moved. anyway,

methane isn't [math]CH_1[/math]

it's [math]CH_4[/math]

 

it's actually a simple process; the hydrogen is bonded to the carbon in a barely polar bond (according to pauling the electronegativity difference is 0.2). meanwhile, oxygen, the 2nd most electronegative element (to fluorine according to pauling, allred-rochow and clemente) is floating around all diatomic waiting to oxidize things. it picks its target and attacks, displacing the hydrogen in methane and oxidizing it.

Ah, the equation just needs to be balanced by adding another O₂ molecule to the reactants.

CH₄ + 2O₂ ---> CO₂ + 2H₂0

Now both sides have 1 C, 4 O, and 4 H.

Here's a visually representation of what is happening:

 

 

 

 

Compliments of:

http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/511natgascombust.html

Ahhh.... Excellent!

 

I get this now.

 

So if there was only one methane molecule and only one oxygen molecule, there would be no combustion! We need more than one oxygen molecule!

 

This was what we were being taught in Science 09. But the teacher wouldn't answer my question saying it was too advanced for my level:mad:. Anyways, Thanks a lot! I knew i count on you guys!

 

Encrypted

if there were one molecule of methane and one molecule of oxygen i would imagine you'd end up with di-hydroxyl methane

"saying it was too advanced for my level"

 

What a boring person your teacher is. Or maybe he didn't just know it himself.

Wanna question on the water molecule.

Is the part near the oxygen atom so negatively charged made by the Dipole-Dipole bond+ the two lone pairs ?

it's the lone pairs

Thank you.