# Natural gas (methane)

> The gas behind the Midrex furnace


## Objectives

- State that natural gas is mostly methane, $\ce{CH4}$ (93% in the book).
- Describe methane as the simplest hydrocarbon and count its atoms in an equation.

## 1. Natural gas (methane): from zero




## 2. The blue flame

Predict: what is natural gas mostly made of?

- Hydrogen, $\ce{H2}$
- Methane, $\ce{CH4}$ ✓
- Carbon dioxide, $\ce{CO2}$
- Oxygen, $\ce{O2}$

Natural gas is mostly methane, $\ce{CH4}$, a compound of carbon and hydrogen that burns as a fuel. Oxygen helps the burning, and $\ce{CO2}$ is a product of it.

[ar-EG] الـ natural gas معظمه methane، يعني $\ce{CH4}$، وده compound من الـ carbon والـ hydrogen بيتحرق كوقود. أما الـ oxygen فبيساعد على الاحتراق، والـ $\ce{CO2}$ ناتج منه.
## 3. Natural gas

Natural gas A gas fuel found underground. Its main part is methane, $\ce{CH4}$. The book's figure: natural gas is 93% methane.


## 4. Methane: the simplest hydrocarbon

Methane, CH₄: one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms Hydrocarbon A compound made of carbon and hydrogen only. Methane has one C atom, so it is the simplest hydrocarbon.


## 5. Your turn

Sort each substance. The Midrex furnace uses $\ce{2CH4}$. That is ___ carbon atoms and ___ hydrogen atoms.


## 6. Summary

Natural gas is a fuel found underground; it is mostly methane (93% in the book). Methane, $\ce{CH4}$, is the simplest hydrocarbon: carbon and hydrogen only. A number in front of a formula multiplies every atom in it. Book wording: "natural gas (93% methane)". In the Midrex furnace, natural gas is turned into the gases that reduce iron ore. Back to the hook: can you explain why methane is called a hydrocarbon? Methane, $\ce{CH4}$, has one C atom and four H atoms: it is made of carbon and hydrogen only, so it is a hydrocarbon.



Chapter: Transition Elements (https://yaani.ai/ar/learn/chemistry/chem-s3-en.ch1)
Source: https://yaani.ai/ar/lesson/chem-s3-en.lesson-chem.natural-gas-methane