When I burn sugar, it leaves behind what I thought was carbon. But when I try to find a balanced equation for sugar combustion, it's usually this:
C12H22O11 + 12 O2 ---------> 12 CO2 + 11 H2O
and there is no C on its own. Is this because if I kept burning the sugar, or was burning at a higher temperature, it would be completely converted to water and CO2?
2007-03-01 11:00:42 · 4 answers · asked by hpagliughi 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Carbon. If there is not enough oxygen to convert all the C to CO2 and all the H to H2O then the limiting oxygen will prefer making H2O (it's REALLY stable--2/3 of the planet's surface, so it's gonna get made). That will just leave carbon behind, mostly as coal/graphite. If you keep on burning it with more oxygen around then the carbon will go away too. Oxygen is almost always the limiting reagent in fires/explosions.
2007-03-01 11:05:04 · answer #1 · answered by Some Body 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that is because imcomplete combustion occured, no sufficient oxygen and your sample also produced C or CO, not only CO2 and H2O. That happens all the time.
2007-03-01 11:38:42 · answer #2 · answered by simbionte 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes, if there isn't quite enough oxygen available, a substance will undergo Incomplete Combustion... Products of this can include carbon monoxide, and pure carbon (i.e., soot, ash).
2007-03-01 11:09:01 · answer #3 · answered by nazzyonenine 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the reaction that you wrote down is a complete reaction...you are getting C because you are putting the flame too close, or do not have enough/have too much oxygen for your flame
2007-03-01 11:07:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋