Chemistry
Natural gas is primarily made up of methane. Heat is created when the chemical energy in methane molecules is changed into heat energy by combustion. When methane is combined with oxygen; carbon dioxide, water and heat, energy is produced.
CH4 +2O2 --> CO2 + 2H2O + Energy
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons are any compound that only includes hydrogen and carbon. These include alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes. Alkanes have a single bond connecting the carbons; alkenes have a double bond connecting the carbons; while alkynes have a triple bond connecting the carbons.
The alkane names are as follows:
| CH4 | - | Methane |
| C2H6 | - | Ethane |
| C3H8 | - | Propane |
| C4H10 | - | Butane |
| C5H12 | - | Pentane |
| C6H14 | - | Hexane |
| C7H16 | - | Heptane |
| C8H18 | - | Octane |
Alcohols
Alcohols have same initial structure as alkanes but a hydrogen is replaced with an oxygen-hydrogen bond.
The alcohol names are as follows:
| CH3OH | - | Methanol |
| C2H5OH | - | Ethanol |
| C3H7OH | - | Propanol |
| C4H9OH | - | Butanol |
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