Which is the correct balanced equation for the complete combustion of ethane in excess oxygen?

The complete combustion of ethane (C2H6) in the presence of excess oxygen results in the formation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). To determine the correct balanced equation, it's important to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is equal on both sides of the equation.

Starting with one molecule of ethane (C2H6), each molecule contains two carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms. During combustion, each carbon atom will produce one molecule of CO2, and each pair of hydrogen atoms will combine with oxygen to form one molecule of H2O. Therefore, the combustion of one molecule of ethane will produce two molecules of carbon dioxide and three molecules of water.

When you balance the equation for the complete combustion, you must also consider the amount of oxygen required. From the complete combustion reaction of one mole of ethane:

• For 2 carbon atoms: 2 CO2 requires 2 O2 (since each CO2 contains 2 oxygen atoms).
• For 6 hydrogen atoms: 3 H2O requires 3 O2 (as each H2O has one oxygen atom).

This totals 2 O2 (from CO2) + 3 O2 (from H