Question

What are the components of water gas?
A.Carbon dioxide and hydrogen
B.Carbon and hydrogen
C.Carbon monoxide and hydrogen
D.Ammonia and hydrogen

Answer 1

Hint: Water gas is a fuel gas produced from synthesis gas. Synthesis gas or syngas is a fuel gas mixture which primarily consists of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and some amount of carbon dioxide.

Complete step by step answer:
The water gas is produced by passing steam over heated hydrocarbons. The reaction between the hydrocarbons and the steam yields synthesis gas or syn gas.
Steam is passed through red hot carbon fuel such as coke.
${{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O + C}} \to {{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{ + CO}}$
This reaction is found to be endothermic, that is the process absorbs heat and so heat must be supplied to sustain it.
One way to sustain heat is to alternate the vapour steam with air steam for the combustion of carbon to take place.
${{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}} + {\text{C}} \to {\text{C}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}$
This process is exothermic.
Another way to sustain heat is to provide oxygen gas in place of air so that carbon monoxide is produced instead of carbon dioxide.
${{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}} + 2{\text{C}} \to {\text{CO}}$
Thus, water gas is a combustion fuel consisting of carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas.

So the correct option is C.

Note:
-There are different variations of water gas.
-Carburetted water gas is a kind of water gas which consists of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons.
-Semi water gas is a kind of water gas which consists of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and nitrogen.
-Water gas shift reaction gas is the water gas which is produced by using the water gas shift reaction to obtain pure hydrogen. The carbon monoxide obtained from the initial reaction is oxidized to remove carbon dioxide, leaving only the hydrogen gas.