Question

Name the process by which ethane is obtained from ethene.

Answer 1

Hint: Ethene belongs to the unsaturated hydrocarbon whereas ethane belongs to the saturated hydrocarbon. In ethene, only two hydrogen atoms are less as compared to the ethane. So, to make ethane from ethene we have to add hydrogen atoms.


Complete step by step answer:
-In the given question we have to convert ethene into ethane by using a proper method.
-As we know that ethane is a saturated hydrocarbon whose molecular formula is $\text{C}{{\text{H}}_{3}}\text{C}{{\text{H}}_{3}}$ and ethene has a molecular formula of $\text{C}{{\text{H}}_{2}}=\text{C}{{\text{H}}_{2}}$ and it consists of a double bond.
-Now, we know that by the addition of two hydrogen atoms we can convert ethene into ethane.
-So, by the process of hydrogenation in which the addition of a hydrogen molecule takes place in the presence of a catalyst.
-The catalyst used in the reaction can be nickel, palladium, platinum, etc which helps in increasing the rate of the reaction.
-The reaction can also occur without a catalyst but it needs high temperature and takes more time as compared to the catalyst base reaction.
-The process of hydrogenation is the reduction process because the addition of hydrogen takes place after breaking the bond.
-So, the balanced chemical reaction will be:

$\text{C}{{\text{H}}_{2}}\text{ = C}{{\text{H}}_{2}}\,\text{+ }{{\text{H}}_{2}}\text{ }\xrightarrow{\text{Ni}}\text{ C}{{\text{H}}_{3}}\text{ - C}{{\text{H}}_{3}}$
Therefore, by using a hydrogenation process we can obtain ethane from ethene.

Note: The process of hydrogenation is also used in the industries of food oil because by using this method we can convert unsaturated oil into the saturated ones. Due to which the shelf life of oil increases and can be used for a longer time.