Question #189dd
1 Answer
Explanation:
Start by predicting what the products of the reaction could be.
As its name suggests, propanethiol is a thiol, which implies that it contains a sulfohydryl group,
More specifically, to get propanethiol, you repalce one hydrogen atom on a propane moelcule,
This implies that the products of its combustion will no longer be exclusively carbon dixoide and water, like you get for hydrocarbons.
Instead, the reaction will also produce an oxide of sulfur, most likely sulfur dioxide,
The unbalanced chemical equation will thus be
C3H8S+O2→CO2+H2O+SO2
Balance the carbon atoms first.
C3H8S+O2→3CO2+H2O+SO2
Balance the hydrogen atoms next.
C3H8S+O2→3CO2+4H2O+SO2
Finally, balance the oxygen atoms.
C3H8S+6O2→3CO2+4H2O+SO2
And there you have it - the balanced equation for the combustion of propanethiol.
