Combustion of hydrocarbons (AQA GCSE Chemistry & Combined Science)

This lesson explains how the complete combustion of hydrocarbons produces carbon dioxide and water and explains how write equations to represent these reactions. The PowerPoint and accompanying resources are part of the second lesson in a series of 2 which have been designed to cover the detail in point 7.1.3 of the AQA GCSE Chemistry & Combined Science specifications.

As shown in the cover picture, the lesson starts with a challenge where the students have to recognise the key term combustion from its suffix and a brief definition. Moving forwards, students will discover that the combustion of hydrocarbons releases energy and during this reaction, the carbon and hydrogen are oxidised. Time is taken to emphasise that sufficient oxygen needs to be present for complete combustion to occur and that if the supply is plentiful then carbon dioxide and water will be produced. The main part of the lesson uses a step by step guide to show students how to write word equations and balanced symbol equations for these reactions, before they are challenged to apply their understanding to write their own. All of the exam questions have mark schemes embedded into the PowerPoint to allow the students to self-assess. The final part of the lesson uses an internet article about carbon monoxide poisoning to introduce that this toxic gas can be produced when oxygen is insufficient.