Q. By Wurtz reaction, a mixture of methyl iodide and ethyl iodide gives

2767 195 AMUAMU 2004 Report Error

A

butane

B

ethane

C

propane

D

a mixture of the above three

Solution:

When alkyl halides react with sodium in the presence of anhydrous ether then alkanes are formed. This reaction is called Wurtz's reaction.
$C H_{3} B r + 2 N a + B r C H_{3} Ether C H_{3} \cdot C H_{3} + 2 N a B r$
When methyl iodide and ethyl iodide react with sodium in ethereal solution, a mixture of propane, ethane, and butane is obtained as follows

Methane cannot be prepared by this method.