Which term describes replacing a hydrogen atom with a halogen in a hydrocarbon, as in CH4 + Cl2 → CH3Cl + HCl?

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Multiple Choice

Which term describes replacing a hydrogen atom with a halogen in a hydrocarbon, as in CH4 + Cl2 → CH3Cl + HCl?

Explanation:
Substitution is when one atom in a molecule is replaced by another atom or group. In this reaction, a hydrogen on methane is replaced by a chlorine atom to give chloromethane and hydrogen chloride. This kind of halogenation of alkanes is textbook substitution: the carbon skeleton stays the same except for one hydrogen being swapped for a halogen. It’s not an addition process (which would involve adding atoms across a double bond), nor an elimination process (which would remove atoms to form a multiple bond), nor polymerization (which builds large chains from repeating units).

Substitution is when one atom in a molecule is replaced by another atom or group. In this reaction, a hydrogen on methane is replaced by a chlorine atom to give chloromethane and hydrogen chloride. This kind of halogenation of alkanes is textbook substitution: the carbon skeleton stays the same except for one hydrogen being swapped for a halogen. It’s not an addition process (which would involve adding atoms across a double bond), nor an elimination process (which would remove atoms to form a multiple bond), nor polymerization (which builds large chains from repeating units).

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