What is the balanced chemical equation for the combustion of carbon from a candle with oxygen?

What is the balanced chemical equation for the combustion of carbon from a candle with oxygen?

• A. C + O2 -> CO2
• B. C + O -> CO
• C. 2C + O2 -> 2CO
• D. CO2 + O2 -> CO2

Answer: (A)

When carbon burns in ample oxygen, it forms carbon dioxide. To balance the equation, track atoms: there is 1 carbon, and oxygen must appear in pairs from O2 to make CO2, which has 2 oxygen atoms. So one carbon atom reacting with one molecule of O2 produces one molecule of CO2, giving C + O2 -> CO2. This shows conservation of atoms and represents complete combustion. The other forms would either predict CO as a product (incomplete combustion), use atomic oxygen instead of O2, or place CO2 on the reactant side, which wouldn’t describe a real combustion reaction.

When carbon burns in ample oxygen, it forms carbon dioxide. To balance the equation, track atoms: there is 1 carbon, and oxygen must appear in pairs from O2 to make CO2, which has 2 oxygen atoms. So one carbon atom reacting with one molecule of O2 produces one molecule of CO2, giving C + O2 -> CO2. This shows conservation of atoms and represents complete combustion. The other forms would either predict CO as a product (incomplete combustion), use atomic oxygen instead of O2, or place CO2 on the reactant side, which wouldn’t describe a real combustion reaction.