Question

What must be present for combustion to be initiated and sustained?

Answer 1

Well `"dioxygen gas"` for a start........................

Explanation:

And then some sort of combustible fuel; a good example is methane gas:

`CH_4(g) +2O_2(g) rarr CO_2(g) + 2H_2O(l) +Delta`

The energy released upon formation of strong `C=O` and `O-H` bonds is greater than the energy required to break (less) strong `C-H` and `O=O` bonds.

Of course, some means to initiate the reaction must be present, and modern gas stoves (usually) have an electronic ignition to start the cooking.