Question

In severe cold weather , a family burnt wood in the room during the night by keeping the windows close. After sometime ,they felt suffocated. They immediately opened the windows and got relief .What did actually happen

Answer 1

When wood is burnt in the presence of air, the reaction is represented as:

C + O2 ----> CO2 + heat

Hence it is clear that CO2 is evolved. Since the temperature is low, C undergoes partial combustion, releasing CO gas. This gas caused suffocation in the closed room.