Question

Write the chemical equation for each of the following:

Addition of hydrogen to ethene

Answer 1

The reaction of the Hydrogen molecule $\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\right)$ with an unsaturated compound in the presence of a metal catalyst forms the saturated compound is called a hydrogenation reaction.

The hydrogenation reaction of Ethene $\left({\mathrm{C}}_2{\mathrm{H}}_4\right)$ in the presence of Hydrogen molecule forms Ethane $\left({\mathrm{C}}_2{\mathrm{H}}_6\right)$ as the major product.

The chemical equation of the hydrogenation reaction of Ethene is written as:

$$\begin{gathered} {\mathrm{CH}}_2={\mathrm{CH}}_2+{\mathrm{H}}_2\stackrel{\mathrm{Ni}\mathrm{catalyst}}{\to }{\mathrm{CH}}_3-{\mathrm{CH}}_3 \\ \left(\mathrm{Ethene}\right)\left(\mathrm{Hydrogen}\right)\left(\mathrm{Ethane}\right) \end{gathered}$$