What is produced when natural gas is burned with oxygen?

When natural gas is burned in the presence of oxygen, it primarily undergoes a combustion process that results in carbon dioxide, water vapor, and heat. Natural gas is mainly composed of methane (CH4), and when it reacts with oxygen (O2), the chemical reaction can be represented by the equation:

[ CH_4 + 2O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + 2H_2O + \text{Heat} ]

In this reaction, one molecule of methane combines with two molecules of oxygen to produce one molecule of carbon dioxide and two molecules of water, while also releasing energy in the form of heat. The production of carbon dioxide indicates complete combustion, which is the ideal scenario for burning fossil fuels. Water vapor is also a byproduct of this reaction, and both carbon dioxide and water vapor are released into the atmosphere.

The correctness of this answer reflects the basic principles of combustion chemistry and energy production. Given that other options either include incomplete combustion products or irrelevant substances, they do not accurately describe the outcomes of burning natural gas with oxygen.