Monitoring and Management > 1. Chemists and Reactions >
Describe an example of a chemical reaction such as combustion, where reactants form different products under different conditions and thus would need monitoring
- The combustion of methane gas can produce different products under different conditions and thus would need monitoring.
- When enough oxygen is available for complete combustion, carbon dioxide and water are produced:
- When less oxygen is available, incomplete combustion occurs, producing some carbon monoxide and carbon:
- The monitoring of the different products of the combustion of methane would be conducted, for example, by an industrial chemist employed by a car company to improve the efficiency of natural gas engines or to ensure than engines meet environmental standards.
- The chemist would use an oxygen sensor to monitor the nature of the combustion.