Question

Is carbon dioxide formed during incomplete combustion of methane?

Answer 1

yes....of course but comes along with CO...that is carbon monoxide.

Answer 2

carbon di oxide is formed by complete combustion of methane .
carbon monoxide is formed by incomplete combustion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustion#Complete_vs._incomplete

Answer 3

@hakkunamatata , wikipedia gives answer to everything....do think before answering.
how do you define incomplete combustion....in practical you see both of the components....
co2 and co....hope you understand

Answer 4

( Abhinandan Kumar: you are an expert right)
Are you saying that there is no process like incomplete combustion?. Please give reference........

According to me Incomplete combustion is the process of combustion happening in the limited supply of Oxidant.So the fuel won't get enough oxidants to get completely reacted with and results in incomplete combustion products.
eg:
complete combustion of methane
CH4 + 2 O2 → CO2 + 2 H2O + energy

eg;
incomplete combustion: of methane
CH4 + O2 → C + 2 H2O
2 CH4 + 3 O2 → 2 CO + 4 H2O

Pls forgive me if I am mistaken .....please and correct me.......so that I can know what is wrong........and what is right ......
PS: I have forgot a lot of my lessons.......trying to bring them back.......Thank you.

Answer 5

The answer to the question is no. CO2 is only created in complete combustion, meaning that there is an excess of oxygen to form CO2 over CO.

@abhirichster

The question asked is a purely academical one, and one used for understanding the chemical principals of combustion. Thus it is looking for the theoretical simple answer, not the answer that happens in the real world, where you may get small amounts CO2 in incomplete combustion due to statistical fluctuations within the vapour volume.

Answer 6

hey buddy...@hakkunamatata....I am sorry if you are hurt....and this discussion is going in a way of argument where we want to prove who's right!
and of course you are right.....on paper and with equations and energetics it must form the way you have described here.
By the way, the question being asked by (AR) is more about the possibility(I thought) of formation of CO2 in an incomplete combustion where no parameters of the reactants and products have been provided or more or less kind of real situation. It lead to me that I must give the way it has been asked (possibility).

Thanks @JonnyMcA...you are right....excess of oxygen will provide you a complete combustion in real situation.
@hakkunamatata....I do not have any reference for incomplete combustion. Its a relative term
and possibly I do not know How to define it.
Happy o see your reply.