How do we represent the combustion of gasoline?

1 Answer
Mar 1, 2017

Well, first you must define "gasoline...."gasoline....

Explanation:

As far as I know, gasoline is composed of isomeric "octane"octane.

And to balance any combustion reaction, garbage in must equal garbage out.

C_8H_18(l) + 25/2O_2 rarr 8CO_2(g) + 9H_2O(l)C8H18(l)+252O28CO2(g)+9H2O(l)

Is this balanced? We could represent incomplete combustion by the reaction:

C_8H_18(l) + 11O_2(g) rarr 6CO_2(g) +C(s) +CO(g) + 9H_2O(l)C8H18(l)+11O2(g)6CO2(g)+C(s)+CO(g)+9H2O(l)

Of course, we have to establish the extent of carbon monoxide and particulate carbon by analysis; here some of the carbon is oxidized incompletely.