How is:
(a) methane and (b) ethane prepared in the laboratory?

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Solution

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(a) A mixture of sodium ethanoate (sodium acetate) and soda lime is taken in a hard glass test tube and heated. The gas collected by the downward displacement of water as $C H_{4}$ is slightly soluble in water. The reaction involved is:
$C H_{3} C O O N a S o d i u m a c e t a t e + N a O H C a O, 300^{\circ} C - ------ \to C H_{4} M e t h a n e + N a_{2} C O_{3}$
Soda lime is a mixture of caustic soda (NaOH) quicklime (CaO) in which CaO keeps the NaOH dry.

(b) To prepare ethane, a mixture of sodium propionate and soda lime is taken in a hard glass test tube and heated.
$C_{2} H_{5} C O O N a S o d i u m p r o p i o n a t e + N a O H C a O - -- \to 300^{\circ} C N a_{2} C O_{3} + C_{2} H_{6} E t h a n e ↑$

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