Final answer:
The combustion of alkanes like methane, propane, and butane with oxygen is the basic chemistry behind fire, producing carbon dioxide, water vapor, and heat.
Step-by-step explanation:
The basic components to the chemistry of fire involve alkanes like methane, propane, and butane reacting with oxygen to produce combustion, primarily forming carbon dioxide and water vapor. This reaction is highly exothermic, meaning it releases a significant amount of heat. For example, the combustion reaction for methane (CH4) is outlined as CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O + heat. In this reaction, methane acts as a fuel, combining with oxygen to form the products.
Butane (C4H10), another alkane, is often used in lighters and camping stoves. When combusted in the presence of plenty of oxygen, it too forms carbon dioxide and water vapor. The balanced chemical equation for butane's combustion demonstrates this clearly:
Propane (C3H8), commonly used in home heating and engines, undergoes combustion similarly to methane and butane, following the general alkane combustion equation, which results in carbon dioxide and water. To balance the combustion equation for propane, you would need to arrange the coefficients to ensure that the number of atoms on each side of the equation is equal, respecting the law of conservation of mass.