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NCERT Exemplar · Q6

Q.Which reagent will you use for the following reaction?
CH3CH2CH2CH3→CH3CH2CH2CH2Cl+CH3CH2CHClCH3\mathrm{CH_3CH_2CH_2CH_3 \rightarrow CH_3CH_2CH_2CH_2Cl + CH_3CH_2CHClCH_3}

(i) Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2}/UV light
(ii) NaCl+H2SO4\mathrm{NaCl + H_2SO_4}
(iii) Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2} gas in dark
(iv) Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2} gas in the presence of iron in dark
Telangana TsbieMCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
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The reaction is a free‑radical chlorination of butane, which gives a mixture of 1‑chlorobutane and 2‑chlorobutane. The correct reagent is Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2}/UV light — option (i).

This is a classic example of free‑radical halogenation of alkanes. Alkanes are generally unreactive because their C–H and C–C bonds are strong and non‑polar. To break a C–H bond and replace H with Cl, you need to generate chlorine radicals — highly reactive species that can abstract a hydrogen atom from the alkane.

The key idea: chlorine radicals are produced when Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2} is exposed to UV light (or heat, around 250–400 °C). In the dark, Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2} does not dissociate into radicals, so no reaction occurs with an alkane. The presence of iron (Fe) is used for electrophilic aromatic substitution (chlorination of benzene), not for alkanes. And NaCl+H2SO4\mathrm{NaCl + H_2SO_4} generates HCl, not chlorine radicals — that mixture won’t chlorinate an alkane.

Now let’s walk through the reasoning step by step.

  1. Identify the reaction type.

    The starting material is butane (CH3CH2CH2CH3\mathrm{CH_3CH_2CH_2CH_3}), a straight‑chain alkane. The products are two monochlorinated isomers: 1‑chlorobutane and 2‑chlorobutane. This is a substitution reaction where one hydrogen is replaced by chlorine. For alkanes, such substitution occurs only via a free‑radical chain mechanism.

  2. What generates chlorine radicals?

    The chlorine molecule (Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2}) has a Cl–Cl bond that can be homolytically cleaved by absorbing energy.

Cl2→hν2 Cl∙\mathrm{Cl_2 \xrightarrow{h\nu} 2\,Cl^\bullet}

UV light provides the necessary energy (about 243 kJ/mol). Heat can also do it, but the question specifically mentions UV light in option (i). Without UV or heat, no radicals form.

  1. Why not the other options?

    • (ii) NaCl+H2SO4\mathrm{NaCl + H_2SO_4}: This mixture produces HCl gas (and NaHSO4\mathrm{NaHSO_4}). HCl does not dissociate into chlorine radicals under normal conditions; it’s a source of H+\mathrm{H^+} and Cl−\mathrm{Cl^-}, not Cl∙\mathrm{Cl^\bullet}. No radical chlorination occurs.
    • (iii) Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2} gas in dark: In the dark, Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2} molecules remain intact. Without radical initiation, the alkane and chlorine simply mix without reacting.
    • (iv) Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2} gas in the presence of iron in dark: Iron (Fe) is a Lewis acid that polarises Cl2\mathrm{Cl_2} to generate Cl+\mathrm{Cl^+} (electrophilic chlorine), used for aromatic chlorination (e.g., benzene → chlorobenzene). But alkanes do not undergo electrophilic substitution — they lack a π‑electron system to attack. So this reagent is ineffective for butane.
  2. Why does the reaction give two products? …

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