Question

Is hydrocarbon combustion an oxidation reaction with respect to the carbon?

Answer 1

My word, `"combustion reactions"` are an `"oxidation"` reaction with respect to the hydrocarbon...

Explanation:

The combustion of hydrocarbons is vital to our standard of living. You probably cooked your breakfast by using the given reaction:

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

And of course if you drove to school/uni in a motor you utilized the combustion of longer chain hydrocarbons.

And we could put in oxidation numbers and electrons .... carbon is oxidized

`stackrel(-IV)CH_4 +2H_2Orarr stackrel(+IV)CO_2(g)+8H^+ +8e^(-)`

... and oxygen reduced....

`O_2(g) +4H^+ +4e^(-) rarr 2H_2O`

And so we take two of the latter and add this to one of the former, and cancel....