Write and balance equation for the complete combustion of decane, C10H22

2C10H22 + 31O2 ==>20CO2 + 22H2O

mama

mama

Sure! Here is the balanced equation for the complete combustion of decane (C10H22):

C10H22 + 15O2 → 10CO2 + 11H2O

And just a little humor for you: Why was the math book sad? Because it had too many problems!

To write and balance the equation for the complete combustion of decane (C10H22), we need to remember that complete combustion occurs in the presence of excess oxygen (O2) and produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) as the only products.

Here's how you can balance the equation step by step:

Step 1: Write out the unbalanced equation.
C10H22 + O2 → CO2 + H2O

Step 2: Begin by balancing the carbons.
On the left side, we have 10 carbon atoms from the decane (C10H22), and on the right side, we have only 1 carbon atom from carbon dioxide (CO2). To balance the carbons, we place a coefficient of 10 in front of CO2.
C10H22 + O2 → 10CO2 + H2O

Step 3: Next, balance the hydrogens.
On the left side, we have 22 hydrogen atoms from the decane (C10H22), and on the right side, we have 2 hydrogen atoms from water (H2O). To balance the hydrogens, we place a coefficient of 11 in front of H2O.
C10H22 + O2 → 10CO2 + 11H2O

Step 4: Finally, balance the oxygens.
On the left side, we have only the O2, which contains 2 oxygen atoms. On the right side, we have 2 oxygen atoms in each CO2 molecule (10 x 2 = 20 oxygen atoms) and 22 oxygen atoms in the water (11 x 2 = 22 oxygen atoms). The total number of oxygen atoms on the right side is 20 + 22 = 42. To balance the oxygens, we need 21 O2 molecules on the left side.
C10H22 + 21O2 → 10CO2 + 11H2O

The balanced equation for the complete combustion of decane (C10H22) is:

C10H22 + 21O2 → 10CO2 + 11H2O

Burning an empty Styrofoam container results in volumes of black sooty flames. On the basis of this observation alone, to what class of hydrocarbons would you suspect a component of the polystyrene polymer found in Styrofoam belongs? Explain.