Questions: Chemical Reactions Predicting the products of a combustion reaction Predict the products of the following reaction. If no reaction will occur, use the NO REACTION button. Be sure your chemical equation is balanced! (CH2)3(OH)2(l) + O2(g) →

Solution Steps

The given reaction involves a hydrocarbon-like compound, $(\mathrm{CH}_{2})_{3}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}$, reacting with oxygen $\mathrm{O}_{2}$. This is a typical combustion reaction where an organic compound reacts with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.

In a combustion reaction, a hydrocarbon or an alcohol reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ and water $\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}$. The general form is: $$\text{Hydrocarbon/Alcohol} + \mathrm{O}_{2} \rightarrow \mathrm{CO}_{2} + \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}$$

For the given compound $(\mathrm{CH}_{2})_{3}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}$, which can be rewritten as $\mathrm{C}_{3}\mathrm{H}_{8}\mathrm{O}_{2}$, the products of the combustion reaction will be carbon dioxide and water: $$\mathrm{C}_{3}\mathrm{H}_{8}\mathrm{O}_{2} + \mathrm{O}_{2} \rightarrow \mathrm{CO}_{2} + \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}$$

To balance the equation, ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

1. Carbon atoms: There are 3 carbon atoms in $\mathrm{C}_{3}\mathrm{H}_{8}\mathrm{O}_{2}$, so we need 3 $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ molecules.
2. Hydrogen atoms: There are 8 hydrogen atoms in $\mathrm{C}_{3}\mathrm{H}_{8}\mathrm{O}_{2}$, so we need 4 $\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}$ molecules.
3. Oxygen atoms: We have 3 $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ and 4 $\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}$, which require $3 \times 2 + 4 = 10$ oxygen atoms. The compound $\mathrm{C}_{3}\mathrm{H}_{8}\mathrm{O}_{2}$ already provides 2 oxygen atoms, so we need 8 more from $\mathrm{O}_{2}$, which means 4 $\mathrm{O}_{2}$ molecules.

The balanced equation is: $$\mathrm{C}_{3}\mathrm{H}_{8}\mathrm{O}_{2} + 4\mathrm{O}_{2} \rightarrow 3\mathrm{CO}_{2} + 4\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}$$

Final Answer