What are the products when ethane reacts with chlorine under UV light?

Study for the IGCSE Edexcel Chemistry Test. Access flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What are the products when ethane reacts with chlorine under UV light?

Explanation:
Chlorination of alkanes under UV light proceeds by a radical chain mechanism. UV light splits Cl2 into chlorine radicals (Cl•). A chlorine radical abstracts a hydrogen from ethane, forming hydrogen chloride (HCl) and an ethyl radical (CH3-CH2•). The ethyl radical then reacts with another Cl2 molecule to give ethyl chloride (CH3-CH2-Cl) and regenerates a chlorine radical. This sequence shows the main products as ethyl chloride and hydrogen chloride. If more chlorine and time are present, further chlorination can occur to give more substituted products, but the first major outcome is ethyl chloride with HCl.

Chlorination of alkanes under UV light proceeds by a radical chain mechanism. UV light splits Cl2 into chlorine radicals (Cl•). A chlorine radical abstracts a hydrogen from ethane, forming hydrogen chloride (HCl) and an ethyl radical (CH3-CH2•). The ethyl radical then reacts with another Cl2 molecule to give ethyl chloride (CH3-CH2-Cl) and regenerates a chlorine radical. This sequence shows the main products as ethyl chloride and hydrogen chloride. If more chlorine and time are present, further chlorination can occur to give more substituted products, but the first major outcome is ethyl chloride with HCl.

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