Question

How would you differentiate between Ethane and Ethene using a single reagent?


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Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

Unsaturated hydrocarbons (alkenes and alkynes) decolourise bromine water. ethene is unsaturated hydrocarbon ,and it decolourise bromine water and ethane being saturated does not decolourise bromine water.

Answer 2

Well, if you know that your two compounds are indeed Ethane and Ethene, then the next step, identifying which is which, is quite simple:

Just add Bromine water.

when you add Ethene to Bromine water, it decolourises it, forming dibromoethane, due to the unsaturated nature of the alkene because of the presence of the double bond.

Alkanes, such as Ethane, are fully saturated compounds, and so do not have any extra ‘room’ for the addition of another ion, thus, it simply won’t react with the bromine water.

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