Question

Write the equation for complete combustion of ethane.

Answer 1

Hint: Ethane is an organic compound having chemical formula $C_2{H}_6$. The chemical name ‘ethane’ is derived as per the number of carbon atoms and the nature of bond between them. Here ‘eth’ represents two numbers of carbon atoms and ‘ane’ depicts that both carbon atoms are attached with a single covalent bond.

Complete step by step answer: Firstly for the complete combustion, we need enough amount of oxygen that can totally use up all the reactants and the reaction which undergoes for complete combustion must follow the Stoichiometric Hey ratios or calculations that is the number of atoms of all the elements present of the reactant side should be equal to the number of atoms of that element present on the product side.
Now, since ethane is an organic compound. Therefore, the products after the complete combustion of ethane(Or any other organic compound) Would be carbon dioxide and water, along with which some energy(Maybe in the form of heat) Is also given out.
There for, the reaction for combustion of ethane can be written as:
$C_2{H}_6+O_2\to C{O}_2+H_{2}O+heat$
But, for the complete combustion of ethane, the above reaction should be stoichiometrically balanced . So, now we have to balance the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side as well as on the product side.
Now, the same reaction for the complete combustion of ethane can be written as:
$C_2{H}_6+7O_2\to 4C{O}_2+6H_{2}O+heat$
As, we can see that in the above reaction, the number of carbon atoms is 4 on both the reactant side and the product side that is the number of carbon atoms is balanced in this reaction, similarly, the number of hydrogen and oxygen atoms are 12 and 14 respectively on both the reactant side and the product side that is the number of hydrogen and oxygen atoms are also balanced on both the sides in this reaction.
Hence, now we can say that ethane is undergoing a complete combustion reaction.

Note: Ethane is also known as dimer of methyl group and its systematic IUPAC name is ‘dicarbane’(which is not highly recommended).