A gas stove burns with a limited air supply. A poisonous gas may be formed by this incomplete combustion. Which gas is it?
Question 1 Report
A gas stove burns with a limited air supply. A poisonous gas may be formed by this incomplete combustion. Which gas is it?
Answer Details
Carbon monoxide, CO, is formed when a carbon-containing fuel burns in a limited supply of air, because there is not enough oxygen to convert every carbon atom fully to carbon dioxide: 2CH4 + 3O2 → 2CO + 4H2O.
Carbon monoxide is toxic because it binds to haemoglobin in red blood cells more strongly than oxygen does, so the blood can no longer carry enough oxygen. It is colourless and odourless, which is what makes a faulty gas appliance so dangerous.
Carbon dioxide is the product of complete combustion and is not poisonous in the same way. Sulfur dioxide comes from sulfur impurities in fuels and causes acid rain, not from a shortage of air. Nitrogen from the air passes through the flame largely unchanged.
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