Imagine setting fire to your favorite superhero action figure (though we seriously don't recommend it!).

• Basics: When non-metals burn in oxygen, they form non-metal oxides.
  • Equation: non-metal + oxygen → non-metal oxide.
• Sulfur Shenanigans: Sulfur is like that uninvited party crasher in fossil fuels (like coal and crude oil).
  • Fun Fact: Coal can have up to 3% sulfur! 🤯
  • When sulfur burns, it mainly produces sulfur dioxide (SO₂).
    • Equation: S(s) + O₂(g) → SO₂(g).
  • But wait, the drama isn't over. SO2 further reacts with atmospheric oxygen to form sulfur trioxide.
    • Equation: 2SO₂(g) + O₂(g) ⇌ 2SO₃(g).
  • Sulfur trioxide + water (from the atmosphere) = Sulfuric acid. Rain with a twist of acid!
    • Equation: SO₃(g) + H₂O(l) → H₂SO₄(aq).
  • Real-world Connection: Ever heard of "acid rain"? It's caused by the above reactions!
• Industrial Insights: We make a LOT of sulfur dioxide in industries, primarily to make...wait for it...sulfuric acid! This acid helps create fertilizers, paints, textiles, and many other products.

Think about the energy you feel after eating chocolate – organic compounds release energy too, but in a different way!

• Hydrocarbons: They are like the backbone of fossil fuels, containing only carbon and hydrogen.
  • Alkanes: The simplest hydrocarbons. Strong but mostly inert due to strong C-C and C-H bonds. Energy in those bonds: 346kJmol−1 (C-C) and 414kJmol−1 (C-H).
  • Real-world Connection: Lighting up a grill? The propane used is an alkane!
  • As alkanes get longer (like a conga line), their boiling points rise and they become less volatile, making shorter ones more popular as fuels.
  • Volatility: How quickly a liquid becomes a gas.
• LPG vs. Petrol: LPG = Mostly propane (C₃H₈). Petrol = A cocktail of hydrocarbons, ranging from butane (C₄H₁₀) to dodecane (C₁₂H₂₆).
• Combustion Party: Alkanes + excess oxygen = 🔥. Result? Carbon dioxide and water!
  • Note: The state of water (steam or liquid) depends on the heat of the party.