New York Low Pressure Boiler Certificate of Fitness (COF) Practice Test

During combustion, the hydrogen content of fuel oil combines with oxygen to produce?

1. Ozone

2. Water

3. Hydrogen peroxide

4. Carbonic acid

The correct answer is: Water

During combustion, the hydrogen content of fuel oil reacts with oxygen, resulting in the formation of water. In the process of burning fuel oil, hydrocarbons are present, which include hydrogen and carbon atoms. When these hydrocarbons undergo combustion, the hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen molecules in the air to produce water vapor as a byproduct. This reaction can be represented by a simplified chemical equation where hydrocarbon fuel (such as fuel oil) mixes with oxygen, producing water and carbon dioxide (if there is complete combustion). The production of water vapor is a key outcome of combustion and is essential in understanding the energy conversion and emissions related to fuel combustion processes. The other options do not accurately represent the typical products generated during the combustion of fuel oil, reinforcing that water is indeed the correct response in this context.