Question

Ethane is obtained by the action of Sodium on two molecules of the compound ‘B’. Write the name of ‘B’, the equation of reaction and also the name of the reaction?

Answer 1

1. To obtain Ethane as the product the two compounds or reactants used in the equation are Methyl bromide and Sodium.
2. When Methyl bromide reacts with two molecules of Sodium we get Ethane as a major product.
3. This way we conclude that compound B is Methyl bromide.
4. The chemical reaction occurs as follows: $\underset{(\mathrm{Methyl}\mathrm{bromide})}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3-\mathrm{Br}\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+2\mathrm{Na}\left(s\right)+\underset{(\mathrm{Methyl}\mathrm{bromide})}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3-\mathrm{Br}\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\stackrel{\mathrm{dry}\mathrm{ether}}{\to }\underset{\left(\mathrm{Ethane}\right)}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3-{\mathrm{CH}}_3}\left(\mathrm{g}\right)+\underset{(\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{bromide})}{2\mathrm{NaBr}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$
5. The reaction will proceed in the presence of dry ether as the catalyst.
6. Such type of reaction is the so-called Wurtz reaction.
7. Hence, we concluded that compound B is Methyl bromide and when two molecules of Methyl bromide react with sodium we get Ethane as the major product. Such a reaction is called the Wurtz reaction.