Let's start by examining the chemical reaction given in the question.
The given chemical reaction is:
[tex]\[ \text{CH}_4 + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{CO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O} \][/tex]
This represents the chemical reaction of methane ([tex]\(\text{CH}_4\)[/tex]) burning in the presence of oxygen ([tex]\(\text{O}_2\)[/tex]) to produce carbon dioxide ([tex]\(\text{CO}_2\)[/tex]) and water ([tex]\(\text{H}_2\text{O}\)[/tex]).
### Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Identify the Reactants and Products:
- Reactants: The substances that undergo a change during the reaction. These are written on the left side of the arrow. In this case, the reactants are [tex]\(\text{CH}_4\)[/tex] and [tex]\(\text{O}_2\)[/tex].
- Products: The substances that are formed as a result of the reaction. These are written on the right side of the arrow. In this case, the products are [tex]\(\text{CO}_2\)[/tex] and [tex]\(\text{H}_2\text{O}\)[/tex].
2. Count the Number of Distinct Products:
- Here, the products are [tex]\(\text{CO}_2\)[/tex] and [tex]\(\text{H}_2\text{O}\)[/tex].
- There are two distinct products formed from the chemical reaction.
### Conclusion:
The balanced chemical reaction has 2 distinct products.
Hence, the correct answer is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{2} \][/tex]
Note: The options given in the question and the choices (A, B, C, D, E) need a correct representation of the value. The numerical answer derived from our detailed analysis is '2'. If we align this value with the provided options, the correct choice should indicate the number of distinct products as '2'.
