In a limited supply of oxygen, what can alkanes produce during combustion?

In a limited supply of oxygen, alkanes primarily produce elemental carbon and water during combustion. When there is insufficient oxygen for complete combustion, the reaction does not fully convert the carbon in the alkane to carbon dioxide. Instead, some of the carbon may not oxidize completely, leading to the formation of solid carbon, also known as soot. This process can be represented by generalized equations showing that instead of CO2, carbon (C) can also be formed, along with water vapor (H2O).

The presence of soot is typically observed as a smoky flame during the combustion of hydrocarbons. While limited oxygen may still yield some carbon dioxide as a product, the key characteristic of incomplete combustion is the generation of elemental carbon, which distinguishes it from complete combustion, where all carbon would convert to carbon dioxide.

Other options do not accurately describe the products formed under the specified conditions. For instance, the production of only carbon dioxide would indicate complete combustion, not applicable here. Similarly, the production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide is not typical under limited oxygen conditions where alkanes are combusted, as hydrogen is not a direct product of alkane combustion.