What happens when methane reacts with chlorine?

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Solution

When methane reacts with chlorine in presence of sunlight, it undergoes chlorination to form methyl chloride.
$C H_{4} + C l_{2} h v - \to C H_{3} C l + H C l$
This reaction go on further to produce polyhalogen derivative of alkane until all the hydrogen atom on methane is replaced by the corresponding number of the chlorine atom.
$C H_{3} C l + C l_{2} h v - \to C H_{2} C l_{2} + H C l$
$C H_{2} C l_{2} + C l_{2} H v - - \to C H C l_{3} + H C l$
$C H_{3} C l + C l_{2} h v - \to C C l_{4} + H C l$

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