Final answer:
In a combustion reaction of C7H16 with O2, the products would be carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The balanced chemical equation is C7H16 + 11O2 → 7CO2 + 8H2O.
Step-by-step explanation:
To predict the products from the reaction of C7H16 with O2, we consider that this is a combustion reaction. The general formula for the combustion of hydrocarbons like C7H16 in oxygen is:
CxHy + O2 → CO2 + H2O
The balanced chemical equation for the combustion of n-heptane (C7H16) is:
C7H16 + 11O2 → 7CO2 + 8H2O
This shows that for every molecule of C7H16, 11 molecules of O2 are required to produce 7 molecules of CO2 and 8 molecules of H2O once the equation is balanced. To balance the equation, we ensure that there are equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides of the reaction.
The carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) atoms are first balanced by choosing coefficients for CO2 and H2O. Then, the oxygen (O) atoms are balanced by adjusting the coefficient in front of O2 on the reactant side.