Note 20 — Chapter VIII · CARBON AND THE HYDROCARBONS

When charcoal burns, the complex molecule Cn is resolved into the simple molecules nCO2, and therefore part of the heat—probably no small amount—is expended in the destruction of the complex molecule Cn. Perhaps by burning the most complex substances, which are the poorest as regards hydrogen, it may be possible to form an idea of the work required to split up Cn into separate atoms.