Combustion

[ebasappa]

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Hey there!! I was going through the BR passage answers for bio, and I happened to get one wrong where the question was " When vitamins and minerals are combusted a gas and ash pile is made. Which forms the gas and which forms the ash?"

--> The answer was that the vitamins form the gas because they can form CO2 and H2O, but my question is, why cant minerals (such as iodide or chlorine) form gases as well? Like chlorine gas...

 

[Fivo]

spectator ions?

 

[BB8730]

I think this problem is getting at the fact that vitamins are organic molecules while minerals are elements. If you burn an organic molecule, you're going to get CO2 + H2O. Under any condition that I can think of, simply burning elemental chloride or iodide won't produce chlorine gas or iodine gas.

The other thing that came to my mind was the fact that when people are cremated, the ashes are almost entirely calcium, because the minerals don't fully combust.

 

[ebasappa]

I think this problem is getting at the fact that vitamins are organic molecules while minerals are elements. If you burn an organic molecule, you're going to get CO2 + H2O. Under any condition that I can think of, simply burning elemental chloride or iodide won't produce chlorine gas or iodine gas.

The other thing that came to my mind was the fact that when people are cremated, the ashes are almost entirely calcium, because the minerals don't fully combust.

Makes sense, thanks!! 👍