Question

Oxygen is neutral gas which supports combustion.
A) True
B) False

Answer 1

Hint: Oxygen is a p-block element present in group 16 and 2nd period of the periodic table. The atomic number of oxygen is 8. The electronic configuration of the oxygen is \[\left[ {{\text{He}}} \right]{\text{2}}{{\text{s}}^{\text{2}}}{\text{2}}{{\text{p}}^{\text{4}}}\] it indicates there are 6 valence electrons are there in the oxygen atom. Oxygen gas is odourless, tasteless, and colorless gas denser than the air.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Combustion is also called burning in which substance or fuel burn in presence of the oxygen. The process of combustion generates gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, etc.

Combustion reactions are always exothermic as heat is released in case of the combustion reactions.
There are different types of combustion : complete combustion, incomplete combustion, rapid combustion, spontaneous combustion, explosive combustion, etc.
Now, the general combustion reaction is given as follows:

\[{\text{Fuel}}\,\,\,{\text{ + }}\,\,\,{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}} \to {\text{C}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}\,\,{\text{ + }}\,\,{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O}}\]

Here, from the general combustion reaction, it is very easy to determine the combustion reaction because there is always oxygen present on the reactant side and carbon dioxide, and water vapours and heat are generated.

In the combustion process, oxygen acts as an oxidizer that supports the combustion process. Therefore, the given statement oxygen is neutral gas which supports combustion is true.

Hence, option (A) is the correct answer for the given question.

Note: Oxidizer is the component used to cause the burning or combustion of the fuel. Oxidizer has also been known as an oxidant or oxidizing agent which causes the oxidation of another substance and itself undergoes the reduction. In the redox reaction, the species which gains the electrons or whose oxidation number is decreasing acts as the oxidizing agent.