Answer
See explanation
Work Step by Step
The complete combustion of octane (C8H18) produces 8 liters of carbon dioxide (CO2) and 9 liters of water (H2O) for every mole of octane combusted.
The balanced equation for the combustion of octane is:
C8H18 + 12.5 O2 -> 8CO2 + 9H2O
From the balanced equation we can see that the ratio of Carbon atoms to Hydrogen atoms in octane is 8 : 18 or 4 : 9.
This means that for every 4 carbon atoms, there are 9 hydrogen atoms in a molecule of octane.
So the ratio of carbon atoms to hydrogen atoms in a molecule of octane is 4 : 9.
