Question

What type of chemical reaction is `CH_4 + 2O_2 -> CO_2 + 2H_2O`?

Answer 1

This is clearly a combustion reaction. How would energy transfer in this process?

Explanation:

While this is certainly an example of combustion, the reaction falls under the more general class of redox reactions. Oxygen gas is reduced to oxide (i.e. `O^(2-)`). Carbon (as `C^(-IV)`) is oxidized to `C^(IV)`. Now, normally we would balance this equation by the method of oxidation numbers and electron transfer; here, we don't need to, and we simply balance the thing.

Can you represent the combustion reactions of ethane and propane?