hydrocarbon
The fuel that burns in a combustion reaction is often a substance called a hydrocarbon. A hydrocarbon is a compound that contains only carbon C and hydrogen H . Fossil fuels, such as natural gas, consist of hydrocarbons. Natural gas is a fuel that is commonly used in home furnaces and gas stoves see Figure below . The main component of natural gas is the hydrocarbon called methane CH 4 . The combustion of methane is represented by the equation:.