Write a balanced chemical equation based on the following description: butanoic acid, C₃H₇COOH(l) burns in air

The balanced chemical equation when butanoic acid burns in air would be

Butanoic acid goes by the formula C₃H₇COOH

Air is largely made of oxygen gas. Hence, when something burns in air, it is essentially burning in oxygen gas (O2).

Hydrocarbons generally burn in air to produce carbon dioxide and water respectively.

Therefore the reaction of butanoic acid and oxygen can be represented in the form of a chemical equation as:

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Explanation:

According to the law of conservation of mass, mass can neither be created nor be destroyed. Thus the mass of products has to be equal to the mass of reactants. The number of atoms of each element has to be same on reactant and product side. Thus chemical equations are balanced.

Combustion is a chemical reaction in which hydrocarbons are burnt in the presence of oxygen to give carbon dioxide and water.

The balanced reaction for combustion of butanoic acid is:

explanation: