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Difficulty: EasyChemical Reactions and Compounds

When methane gas (CH4\text{CH}_4) burns in the presence of oxygen gas (O2\text{O}_2), it reacts to produce carbon dioxide (CO2\text{CO}_2) and water vapor (H2O\text{H}_2\text{O}). Which of the following statements correctly describes what happens to the atoms during this chemical reaction?

  1. A
    The molecules change their physical state without breaking or forming any chemical bonds.
  2. The existing atoms break their original bonds and rearrange to form new chemical compounds.Answer
  3. C
    The reactant atoms are destroyed during combustion and replaced by newly created product atoms.
  4. D
    The individual carbon and hydrogen atoms change their atomic numbers into different elements.

Answer

The existing atoms break their original bonds and rearrange to form new chemical compounds.
In a chemical reaction, the original chemical bonds between reactant atoms break, and the atoms rearrange to form new bonds and produce distinct substances without creating or destroying any atoms.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nature of the process described in the prompt.
The combustion of methane with oxygen is a chemical reaction that generates new substances (CO2\text{CO}_2 and H2O\text{H}_2\text{O}).
A chemical reaction involves a change in chemical identity and composition, unlike a simple phase change.
2
Apply the principles of atomic theory and the Law of Conservation of Mass to the reaction.
The total number and identity of each atom remain constant, but the chemical bonds holding them together break and reform into new molecular structures.
Chemical reactions involve the rearrangement of valence electrons and chemical bonds between atoms, not the destruction or elemental transformation of atoms.

Key Concept

During a chemical reaction, existing chemical bonds are broken and atoms rearrange into new combinations to form different chemical compounds while conserving all atoms.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Chemical Reactions and Compounds

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