What is the equlivalent weight of methane during its Combustion?

Answer

To find the equivalent weight of methane (CH₄) during its combustion, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the Molar Mass of Methane
The molar mass of methane (CH₄) can be calculated as follows:
- Carbon (C) has an atomic mass of 12 g/mol.
- Hydrogen (H) has an atomic mass of 1 g/mol, and there are 4 hydrogen atoms in methane.

So, the molar mass of methane is:
\[ \text{Molar mass of CH}_4 = 12 \, \text{g/mol (C)} + 4 \times 1 \, \text{g/mol (H)} = 12 + 4 = 16 \, \text{g/mol} \]

### Step 2: Calculate the Equivalent Mass
The equivalent mass of a substance is calculated using the formula:
\[ \text{Equivalent mass} = \frac{\text{Molar mass}}{\text{n}} \]
where \( n \) is the number of moles of reactive species produced or consumed in the reaction.

For the combustion of methane, the reaction can be represented as:
\[ \text{CH}_4 + 2 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{CO}_2 + 2 \text{H}_2\text{O} \]
In this reaction, one mole of methane produces one mole of carbon dioxide and two moles of water. Therefore, the number of moles of hydrogen atoms involved in the reaction is 4 (from CH₄).

### Step 3: Calculate the Equivalent Weight
To find the equivalent weight of methane, we use the formula:
\[ \text{Equivalent weight} = \frac{\text{Molar mass}}{\text{n}} \]
Here, \( n \) is 4 (the number of moles of hydrogen atoms that can be produced from one mole of methane).

Thus, the equivalent weight of methane is:
\[ \text{Equivalent weight of CH}_4 = \frac{16 \, \text{g/mol}}{4} = 4 \, \text{g/equiv} \]

### Final Answer
The equivalent weight of methane during its combustion is **4 g/equiv**.

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