Balanced equation for the combustion of pentanol, C5H11OH: 2 C5H11OH + 15 O2 = 10 CO2 + 12 H2O
To balance a chemical equation, you can use WebQC.org's Balance Chemical Equation - Online Balancer.
A combustion reaction occurs when a fuel source, usually a hydrocarbon, combines with oxygen to burn and produce carbon dioxide and water. Another common category of fuels are alcohols, which are covalent molecules that contain a hydroxyl (-OH) group. The general form of a combustion reaction is: CxHy + O2 = CO2 + H2O
When fuels other than hydrocarbons and alcohols burn in oxygen, these reactions are also classified as combustion. For example, magnesium will burn in oxygen to form magnesium oxide. This type of reaction could also be classified as a synthesis reaction: 2Mg + O2 = 2MgO
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