An unknown organic compound that contains carbon,hydrogen and oxygen undergoes a combustion analysis. What happen to the carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms in the compound,assuming that the combustion goes to completion?
C goes to CO2.
H goes to H2O.
During a combustion analysis, organic compounds are typically burned in the presence of excess oxygen. This results in the complete oxidation of the carbon and hydrogen atoms present in the compound.
When an organic compound containing carbon and hydrogen undergoes complete combustion, it reacts with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The carbon atoms from the compound combine with the oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2), while the hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen to form water (H2O).
For example, let's consider a hypothetical organic compound with the chemical formula CxHyOz. When this compound undergoes complete combustion, the following reaction occurs:
CxHyOz + (x+y/4)O2 -> xCO2 + y/2H2O
In this reaction, x moles of carbon atoms combine with oxygen to produce x moles of carbon dioxide, while y moles of hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen to produce y/2 moles of water.
It's important to note that combustion analysis helps determine the empirical formula and molecular formula of an unknown organic compound by calculating the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen content based on the amounts of carbon dioxide and water produced during combustion.