Methane (CH₄) is a natural gas that is often used as a fuel. When it burns in the presence of oxygen, carbon dioxide and water are produced. Replace the "X" in the following reaction of methane combustion to balance the equation. CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + XH₂O A)lCH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 0H₂O B)CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 1H₂O C)CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 2H₂O D)CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 3₂O E)CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 4H₂O

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balanced chemical equation for the combustion of methane is:
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
By comparing this with the given equation, we can see that the only difference is the presence of sulfur (S) in methane. Therefore, we can balance the equation by adding coefficients to make sure both sides have the same number of atoms of each element. The balanced equation would be:
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O + 2S
Therefore, the correct answer is (C), which shows that the balanced equation has 1 molecule of methane (CH4), 2 molecules of oxygen (O2), 1 molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2), and 2 molecules of water (H2O) on the right-hand side, and 1 molecule of methane (CH4), 2 molecules of oxygen (O2), 1 molecule of carbon monoxide (CO), and 2 molecules of water (H2O) on the left-hand side.

Methane (CH4) Is a Natural Gas That Is Often Used

Methane (CH₄) Is a Natural Gas That Is Often Used