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How does carbon form carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide at high temperatures?

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A color-coded periodic table of the elements displays each element's symbol and atomic number, with categories such as alkali metals, noble gases, halogens, transition metals, and actinoid elements distinguished by different background colors. — carbon group element Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).

At high temperatures, carbon reacts with oxygen to form carbon monoxide (CO) or carbon dioxide (CO₂) depending on the availability of oxygen and the specific reaction conditions.1

Formation of Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide is produced when carbon or carbon-containing compounds are burned in an excess of oxygen. This is an exothermic oxidation process that releases significant heat.23

Formation of Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is typically formed through the following processes:
* Limited Oxygen: When carbon is heated or burned in a limited supply of oxygen, carbon monoxide is produced rather than carbon dioxide.4
* Incomplete Combustion: In industrial furnaces or internal-combustion engines, carbon monoxide often results from the incomplete conversion of carbon or carbon-containing fuels to carbon dioxide.5
* Steam and Coke: The reaction of steam with red-hot coke—an impure form of carbon—produces a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas, known as water gas.4

At high temperatures, carbon acts as a strong reducing agent, readily combining with oxygen to form these oxides. While carbon monoxide can be further oxidized to carbon dioxide, it is also used industrially to reduce metal oxides to their elemental forms.14