Which pair represents typical products of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons?

Which pair represents typical products of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons?

• A. Carbon monoxide and Water
• B. Carbon dioxide and Water
• C. Oxygen and Nitrogen
• D. Hydrogen and Helium

Answer: (A)

When hydrocarbons burn with limited oxygen, not all the carbon can be fully oxidized to carbon dioxide, so some carbon forms carbon monoxide instead. The hydrogen still reacts with available oxygen to make water, so carbon monoxide and water become the typical products of incomplete combustion. This contrasts with complete combustion, which produces carbon dioxide and water when plenty of oxygen is present. The other options don’t fit because they involve gases that aren’t products of combustion (oxygen and nitrogen) or species that aren’t produced in this reaction (hydrogen and helium), while carbon dioxide would indicate complete rather than incomplete combustion.

When hydrocarbons burn with limited oxygen, not all the carbon can be fully oxidized to carbon dioxide, so some carbon forms carbon monoxide instead. The hydrogen still reacts with available oxygen to make water, so carbon monoxide and water become the typical products of incomplete combustion. This contrasts with complete combustion, which produces carbon dioxide and water when plenty of oxygen is present. The other options don’t fit because they involve gases that aren’t products of combustion (oxygen and nitrogen) or species that aren’t produced in this reaction (hydrogen and helium), while carbon dioxide would indicate complete rather than incomplete combustion.