Fire triangle

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 Formation of fossil fuels – coal

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 Formation of fossil fuels – oil and gas

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 What’s the best fuel?

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 Equations for combustion
Combustion, as the reaction of substance with oxygen, is also
called oxidation. The products of oxidation are oxides.
 Coal is mostly carbon. The product of burning coal is a gas
which turns limewater cloudy. What is the equation for
burning coal?
carbon
carbon oxygen dioxide
 Many fuels are hydrocarbons, which means they are made
up of carbon and hydrogen. When hydrocarbons burn
carbon dioxide and water (hydrogen oxide) are produced.
What is the equation for burning the hydrocarbon methane?
carbon
methane oxygen dioxide water

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 Incomplete combustion
A good supply of oxygen is needed for a fuel to burn
completely and release as much energy as possible.
When carbon reacts completely with oxygen, it is all turned
into carbon dioxide. This is called complete combustion:
carbon
carbon oxygen dioxide
If there is not enough oxygen, a fuel cannot burn completely
and less energy is released. Some fuel is wasted.
When carbon does not react completely with oxygen, the
product is carbon monoxide, a colourless poisonous gas.
This is called incomplete combustion:
carbon
carbon oxygen monoxide
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