Difference between Combustion and oxidation 5 points each. Please help.
Answers
Combustion is the complete oxidationof organic compound into carbon dioxide and water molecules in presence of oxygen gas whileoxidation is the addition of oxygen in acompound or with an element the loss of electron from an atom or ion is alsooxidation but it is not thecombustion.
Oxidation vs Combustion
We have heard of the process of combustion and oxidation in our school. But only a few know about the main differences between them. In combustion organic compounds are completely burnt and get oxidized to CO2 and water. The process needs oxygen to occur. However in oxidation, oxygen is added to the compound. In case of oxidizing the element, we can say that an ion of negative charge has been lost or an atom is lost from the element.
Whenever combustion takes place oxidation is the end result, but it is not the same for oxidation. Combustion is accompanied with exothermic reactions which happen after a series of complex chemical reactions. It involves an oxidant that is required to catapult the experiment. Heat and light are also produced during the reaction. On the other hand in oxidation, oxygen is gained and hydrogen molecules or the electrons are lost thereby giving the element or the compound an oxidized form.
What happens in combustion? In this process the compound reacts with the element that acts like an oxidizing element (for example oxygen or fluorine). The end substance obtained consists of compounds which also have the oxidizing element as part of their chemistry. What is the procedure of oxidation? In oxidation the oxidation state of the compound is changed by two processes:
Redox process: For example oxidation of carbon to CO2.
Reducing the element of carbon to obtain CH4, also known as methane by the help of hydrogen.
This can also be represented by the example of sugar oxidation that takes place within the human body. This process involves a series of very complex process that includes electron transfers within the cell structure.