Complete and Incomplete Combustion of Hydrocarbons and Non-Hydrocarbons

Complete Combustion

hydrocarbon → CO₂ + H₂O

Oxygen in Complete Combustion

Plenty

Products of Complete Combustion

CO₂ + H₂O

Energy in Complete Combustion

Max

Clue for Complete Combustion

All carbon atoms end up in CO₂

Incomplete Combustion

hydrocarbon → CO + H₂O

Oxygen in Incomplete Combustion

Limited

Products of Incomplete Combustion

CO + H₂O

Energy in Incomplete Combustion

Less than complete

Clue for Incomplete Combustion

Carbon can't fully oxidize → CO forms

Incomplete Combustion (Soot)

hydrocarbon → C + H₂O

Oxygen in Incomplete Combustion (Soot)

Really limited

Products of Incomplete Combustion (Soot)

Soot (C) + H₂O

Energy in Incomplete Combustion (Soot)

Even less

Clue for Incomplete Combustion (Soot)

Carbon literally doesn't burn → black smoke/soot

Combustion of non-hydrocarbon

Depends on what you burn

Example of non-hydrocarbon combustion

C₂H₅OH + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O

Cheat code for combustion recognition

Oxygen supply: Plenty → CO₂ + H₂O; Limited → CO + H₂O; Very limited → C + H₂O; Non-hydrocarbon → Depends