× Didn't find what you were looking for? Ask a question
Top Posters
Since Sunday
New Topic  
Funkiest Funkiest
wrote...
Posts: 1
Rep: 0 0
8 years ago
The properties of kerosene as a chemical property is flammable with oxygen. Explain
Read 826 times
1 Reply

Related Topics

Replies
wrote...
8 years ago
Kerosene isn't just one substance, it's a mixture of 4 hydrocarbons: dodecane (C12H26), tridecane (C13H28), tetradecane (C14H30), and pentadecane (C15H32).

Assuming you get complete combustion of these 4 substances, you'll get:

dodecane + oxygen Rightwards Arrow carbon dioxide + water.
tridecane + oxygen Rightwards Arrow carbon dioxide + water
tetradecane + oxygen Rightwards Arrow carbon dioxide + water
pentadecane + oxygen Rightwards Arrow carbon dioxide + water

Writing this as a chemical equation (rather than word equation) is a bit more challenging. It's a good chance to practise balancing equations!
dodecane + oxygen Rightwards Arrow carbon dioxide + water.
2 C12H26 + 37 O2 Rightwards Arrow 12 CO2 + 13 H2O.

Or, in words, for the complete combustion of 2 molecules of dedecane we need 37 molecules of oxygen. This gives us 12 molecules of carbon dioxide and 13 molecules of water.
--------------------------------------...
I'll leave you to balance the combustion reactions of the other 3 hydrocarbons. Two important things first:
1. You have to have the same number of atoms on both side of the equation. You can't just dissapear (or make) carbon atoms.

2. When balancing an equation you change the number of molecules of a substance, not the substance! For instance, if you have 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms in your reactants you don't get H4O2, you get 2 H2O (2 molecules of water)
New Topic      
Explore
Post your homework questions and get free online help from our incredible volunteers
  1271 People Browsing
Related Images
  
 7410
  
 196
  
 3736
Your Opinion
What's your favorite math subject?
Votes: 293