Propane combustion products consist of which substances?

Propane combustion products consist of which substances?

• A. CO2 + water vapour
• B. CO and methane
• C. Oxygen and nitrogen
• D. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen

Answer: (D)

When a hydrocarbon like propane burns, the amount of oxygen available in the surroundings dictates what ends up as the exhaust products. With plenty of oxygen, the combustion is complete and you get carbon dioxide and water. If the oxygen is limited, the reaction can’t go to completion, and gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen become the main products, with some water and possibly other species depending on conditions. The other options don’t fit: oxygen and nitrogen are not products of combustion (they’re components of air used to support the reaction), carbon dioxide and water are the products of complete combustion, and methane is another fuel, not a combustion product of propane.

When a hydrocarbon like propane burns, the amount of oxygen available in the surroundings dictates what ends up as the exhaust products. With plenty of oxygen, the combustion is complete and you get carbon dioxide and water. If the oxygen is limited, the reaction can’t go to completion, and gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen become the main products, with some water and possibly other species depending on conditions. The other options don’t fit: oxygen and nitrogen are not products of combustion (they’re components of air used to support the reaction), carbon dioxide and water are the products of complete combustion, and methane is another fuel, not a combustion product of propane.