Complete combustion of fossil fuels occurs when there is plenty of oxygen present, resulting in hydrogen oxidizing to water and carbon oxidizing to carbon dioxide. Incomplete combustion occurs when there is insufficient oxygen, resulting in hydrogen oxidizing to water but carbon oxidizing to carbon monoxide and the release of soot. Natural gas is a better choice of fossil fuel because it releases fewer harmful air pollutants like carbon dioxide and water when combusted compared to coal and oil. The combustion of fossil fuels releases various gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, particles, and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere.

1. Combustion of fossil fuels
By: Eshaan Patel

2. Complete combustion
Fuels burn when they react with oxygen in the
air. The hydrogen in hydrocarbons is oxidized to
water (remember that water, H2O, is an oxide of
hydrogen). If there is plenty of air, we get
complete combustion and the carbon in
hydrocarbons is oxidized to carbon dioxide:
hydrocarbon + oxygen → water + carbon
dioxide

3. Incomplete combustion
If there is insufficient air for complete
combustion, we get incomplete
combustion instead. The hydrogen is still
oxidized to water, but instead of carbon
dioxide we get carbon monoxide. Particles
of carbon, seen as soot or smoke, are also
released.

4. Why is natural gas a better choice?
Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. Coal
and oil, the other fossil fuels, are more chemically
complicated than natural gas, and when combusted,
release a variety of harmful air pollutants. Burning
methane releases only carbon dioxide and water.
Since natural gas is mostly methane, the
combustion of natural gas releases fewer
byproducts than other fossil fuels.

5. The fire triangle
For a fire to thrive and spread it requires
three things:
• fuel for the fire to burn
• air for the fire to breathe
• heat for the fire to continue burning.
Removal of any one of the sides of this
Fire Triangle will extinguish the fire.

6. Products released by fossil fuels
Clouds of smoke and other combustion products are emitted from chimneys
The combustion of a fuel may release several gases into the atmosphere, including:
water vapor
carbon dioxide
carbon monoxide
particles
sulfur dioxide
These products may be harmful to the environment.

7. Why Do we only Prefer Fossil fuels for energy?
• Burn very easily and give out immense amount
of energy
• Affordable in price, so rates don’t go very high
• Their energy can be used to turn turbines, to
heat gas stoves and can be used to run cars