Question icon
11 grade chemistry others

Why does ethyne (acetylene) burn with a sooty flame?

Profile image of Aniket Singh
1 Year agoGrade
Answers icon

1 Answer

Profile image of Askiitians Tutor Team
1 Year ago

Ethyne (acetylene) burns with a sooty flame primarily because it undergoes incomplete combustion under certain conditions. When ethyne reacts with oxygen in a limited supply (i.e., insufficient oxygen supply), incomplete combustion occurs, leading to the formation of carbon (C) particles, which are released as soot. This incomplete combustion happens because there isn't enough oxygen available to fully oxidize all the carbon in ethyne to carbon dioxide (CO2).