Consider the chemical equation for the combustion of methane. Sort the components of the chemical equation according to whether they are reactants or products.

[tex]\[ CH_4 + 2 O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + 2 H_2O \][/tex]

Reactants:
- [tex]\( CH_4 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex]

Products:
- [tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( H_2O \)[/tex]



Answer :

To sort the components of the chemical equation of the combustion of methane according to whether they are reactants or products, let's first recall the chemical equation:

[tex]\[ CH_4 + 2 O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + 2 H_2O \][/tex]

1. Identify the reactants: These are the substances that are present before the reaction takes place. In the given equation, the reactants are listed on the left side of the arrow ([tex]\(\rightarrow\)[/tex]).
- [tex]\( CH_4 \)[/tex] (Methane)
- [tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex] (Oxygen)

2. Identify the products: These are the substances that are formed as a result of the reaction. In the given equation, the products are listed on the right side of the arrow ([tex]\(\rightarrow\)[/tex]).
- [tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex] (Carbon dioxide)
- [tex]\( H_2O \)[/tex] (Water)

3. Sort and categorize the components:

Reactants
- [tex]\( CH_4 \)[/tex] (Methane)
- [tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex] (Oxygen)

Products
- [tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex] (Carbon dioxide)
- [tex]\( H_2O \)[/tex] (Water)

Thus, the sorted components of the chemical reaction according to their role in the reaction are:

Reactants:
- [tex]\( CH_4 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex]

Products:
- [tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( H_2O \)[/tex]

To summarize:
- [tex]\( CH_4 \)[/tex] is a reactant.
- [tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex] is a reactant.
- [tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex] is a product.
- [tex]\( H_2O \)[/tex] is a product.