n the following combustion reaction, predict the two products.C12H26 + O2 --> _________

1. Break Down the Problem

We begin by identifying the reactants in the combustion reaction, which are a hydrocarbon ($C_{12}H_{26}$) and oxygen ($O_2$). Our goal is to predict the products of this combustion reaction.

2. Relevant Concepts

In a complete combustion reaction of a hydrocarbon:

• The products are carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and water ($H_2O$).
• A combustion reaction typically follows the general formula: $C_xH_y + O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + H_2O$

3. Analysis and Detail

For the complete combustion of dodecane ($C_{12}H_{26}$):

• Each carbon ($C$) atom produces one molecule of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$).
• Each pair of hydrogen ($H$) atoms produces one molecule of water ($H_2O$).

From $C_{12}H_{26}$:

• There are 12 carbon atoms, which will produce $12 CO_2$.
• There are 26 hydrogen atoms, which will produce $\frac{26}{2} = 13 H_2O$ molecules.

4. Verify and Summarize

The overall reaction should balance with respect to the number of each type of atom. Therefore, we will also need to calculate the amount of $O_2$ required.

The balanced equations can be summarized as follows: $C_{12}H_{26} + O_2 \rightarrow 12 CO_2 + 13 H_2O$

To determine the number of $O_2$ molecules required, we calculate:

• From the products, there are $12 \times 2 = 24$ oxygen atoms in $CO_2$ and $13 \times 1 = 13$ oxygen atoms in $H_2O$.
• This gives a total of $24 + 13 = 37$ oxygen atoms needed.
• To find how many $O_2$ we need, we divide by 2: $\frac{37}{2} = 18.5$ molecules of $O_2$.

Final Answer

The balanced equation is: $C_{12}H_{26} + 18.5 O_2 \rightarrow 12 CO_2 + 13 H_2O$
Thus, the two predicted products are $CO_2$ (carbon dioxide) and $H_2O$ (water).