Question

You've spent the May 24th weekend burning heavy logs in a fire pit and all that remains from these logs is light ash. Using your knowledge of laws and scientific terminology, explain what has happened to the large logs.

Answer 1

When wood is burned, it turns to heat, chemicals and gases. Complete combustion produces water vapor and CO₂ along with non-combustible heat and ash. When combustion is incomplete, CO, hydrocarbons and other gases are formed.

Therefore, these logs suffered combustion, that is, heat was formed, with water vapor, CO₂ and ash if it was a complete combustion.

Wood + O₂ ----> CO₂ + H₂O (complete combustion)