Source: Yahoo Singapore News on 28th Jan 2014
KABOOM! Yes, methane is highly flammable!
Balanced Chemical Equation for combustion: CH4(g) + 2O2(g) → CO2(g) + H2O(g)
Besides that, methane, CH4 is also listed as one of the air pollutants (other common pollutants are: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, unburnt hydrocarbons and ozone) in our atmosphere.
It is colourless and odourless gas, which is produced when plant and animal matter decay.
Sheep and cows give off methane due to the digestion of food so we will have high concentration of this gas in farming areas.
Methane is also produced from the decay of rubbish in landfills.
Scientists are studying closely the concentration level of methane in our atmosphere because it is a potent greenhouse gas which causes global warming and their levels has doubled over the last 150 years because of human activities like fossil fuel use and intensive farming.
The possible consequences of global warming are:
- Unusual weather conditions such as warm spells, droughts, unexpected storms, floods and tsunamis
- A decrease in world-wide crop yields
- Melting of large quantities of ice in north and south poles which will cause sea levels to rise and flood low-lying countries such as Netherlands and Singapore
Note:
Air pollution is tested in the GCE O-Level Chemistry Examination in Singapore and is very common. You can find out more information from the two recommended textbooks in Singapore, namely: Marshall Cavendish Education’s Chemistry Matters and Pearson’s All About Chemistry. Refer to the topic called Atmosphere or Air.
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