Soot
Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
Soot is a very small lump of Carbon atoms made during combustion.
About Soot
Key Stage 4
Meaning
Soot is a very small lump of Carbon atoms made during incomplete combustion.
About Soot
- Many particles of soot build up to form a layer of black powder.
- During the industrial revolution soot built up on trees which caused the white moths to be visible to predators. After a few years natural selection had killed off all the white moths while a mutation caused some moths to be black, allowing them to survive.
- Soot is produced in the following incomplete combustion reactions:
- Methane + Oxygen → Soot + Water
\(CH4 + O2 → C + 2H2O\)
\(2C_2H_6 + 3O_2 → 4C + 6H_2O\)
- Ethane + Oxygen → Soot + Carbon Monoxide + Water
\(2C_2H_6 + 4O_2 → 2C + 2CO + 6H_2O\)
\(C_2H_4 + O_2 → 2C + 2H_2O\)
- Ethene + Oxygen → Soot + Carbon Monoxide + Water
\(2C_2H_4 + 3O_2 → 2C + 2CO + 4H_2O\)
\(2CH_3OH + O2 → 2C + 4H_2O\)
\(C_2H_5OH + O_2 → 2C + 3H_2O\)
- Ethanol + Oxygen → Soot + Carbon Monoxide + Water
\(2C_2H_5OH + 3O_2 → 2C + 2CO + 6H_2O\)
References
AQA
- Soot, page 238, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA
- Soot, pages 181, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
- Soot, pages 202-203, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA