What Is the Balanced Equation for the Complete Combustion of Acetylene?

The balanced equation for the combustion of acetylene is 2 H2C2 + 5 O2 ? 4 CO2 + 2 H2O. A combustion reaction occurs when a compound merges with oxygen to release heat in an exothermic reaction.

In the reaction 2 H2C2 + 5 O2 ? 4 CO2 + 2 H2O, two molecules of acetylene combine with five compounds of two bonded oxygen atoms to form four molecules of carbon dioxide and two molecules of water. A balanced equation represents a chemical reaction with an equal number of atoms in both the reactants and the products. The numbers in front of each component are used to balance the equation.