What process describes decomposition into simpler molecular compounds due to heat alone?

What process describes decomposition into simpler molecular compounds due to heat alone?

• A. Oxidation
• B. Pyrolysis
• C. Fermentation
• D. Hydrolysis

Answer: (B)

Thermal decomposition driven purely by heat is known as pyrolysis. It involves breaking a substance into simpler molecular fragments when heated, usually in an environment with little or no oxygen, so there isn’t combustion occurring. This makes pyrolysis distinct from oxidation, which requires oxygen and results in combustion and oxide formation; from hydrolysis, which uses water to split molecules; and from fermentation, a biological process driven by enzymes and microbes rather than heat. An example is turning wood into charcoal and volatile gases through high-temperature heating in a low-oxygen setting.

Thermal decomposition driven purely by heat is known as pyrolysis. It involves breaking a substance into simpler molecular fragments when heated, usually in an environment with little or no oxygen, so there isn’t combustion occurring. This makes pyrolysis distinct from oxidation, which requires oxygen and results in combustion and oxide formation; from hydrolysis, which uses water to split molecules; and from fermentation, a biological process driven by enzymes and microbes rather than heat. An example is turning wood into charcoal and volatile gases through high-temperature heating in a low-oxygen setting.