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A mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen can be converted into water and a mixture of hydrocarbons - Scottish Highers Chemistry - Question 11 - 2018
Question 11
A mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen can be converted into water and a mixture of hydrocarbons. n CO + (2n + 1) H₂ → n H₂O + hydrocarbons What is the general ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen can be converted into water and a mixture of hydrocarbons - Scottish Highers Chemistry - Question 11 - 2018
Step 1
What is the general formula for the hydrocarbons produced?
Answer
To determine the general formula for the hydrocarbons produced from the reaction of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, we start from the given reaction:
ightarrow n ext{H}_2 ext{O} + ext{hydrocarbons}$$ From the reaction, the left side shows the consumption of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂), while the right side produces water (H₂O) and hydrocarbons. ### Analyzing Carbon to Hydrogen Ratio 1. Each molecule of CO contributes one carbon atom. 2. The reaction consumes $(2n + 1)$ hydrogen molecules, which contributes a total of $2(2n + 1)$ hydrogen atoms: - Total number of hydrogen atoms = $2(2n + 1) = 4n + 2$. 3. For every carbon atom, the number of hydrogen atoms in hydrocarbons follows the general formula $C_nH_m$. ### Finding the General Formula To fit the formula for hydrocarbons produced, we typically follow the formula for alkanes, which is: - Alkane: $C_nH_{2n+2}$ - Therefore, using $C_n$ for $n$ carbon atoms, we expect: $$ ext{hydrocarbon general formula: } C_nH_{2n+2}$$ ### Conclusion Among the options provided, the correct representation of the hydrocarbons produced matches with option D: $C_nH_{2n+2}$.