Chlorine gas reacts with methane to form

JAMB Chemistry 2023 93 views

Chlorine gas reacts with methane to form

  1. Hydrogen
  2. Methanol
  3. Carbon chloride and chlorothene
  4. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) ✓

Explanation

When chlorine reacts with methane in sunlight, hydrogen atoms are progressively replaced by chlorine atoms. The final product is carbon tetrachloride, where all four hydrogens are replaced.

The reaction proceeds through multiple steps, forming chloromethane, dichloromethane, and chloroform before reaching CCl₄. Each step substitutes one more hydrogen with chlorine.

Carbon tetrachloride was once used as a solvent and fire extinguisher. It is no longer widely used because of health and environmental concerns.

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