Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How much carbon dioxide and water form when 16 grams of methane react with 64 grams of oxygen?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
chemical reaction
Log burning in a fire. Burning wood is an example of a chemical reaction in which wood in the presence of heat and oxygen is transformed into carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ash.
When 16 grams of methane react with 64 grams of oxygen, the reaction produces 44 grams of carbon dioxide and 36 grams of water.
This process is governed by the law of conservation of matter, which states that matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction. The balanced chemical equation for this combustion is:
CH₄(g) + 2O₂(g) → CO₂(g) + 2H₂O(l)
In this reaction, the total mass of the reactants (80 grams) is equal to the total mass of the products (80 grams), demonstrating that the mass is conserved throughout the transformation.1