CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 2H₂O
Explanation:
* CH₄: Methane (a natural gas)
* O₂: Oxygen (from the air)
* CO₂: Carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas)
* H₂O: Water (liquid)
The equation shows:
* Methane reacts with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.
* The coefficients (numbers before the molecules) indicate the relative amounts of each molecule involved in the reaction. In this case, one molecule of methane reacts with two molecules of oxygen to produce one molecule of carbon dioxide and two molecules of water.
This is a simplified example, but it illustrates the basic structure of a chemical equation and shows how it represents a chemical reaction.
