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Wurtz Reaction

Easychemistry

Ethyl bromide is treated with sodium metal in dry ether. The hydrocarbon formed is:

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About This Question

Subject
chemistry
Chapter
organic compounds containing halogens
Topic
wurtz reaction
Difficulty
Easy
Year
2025
Tags
Wurtz ReactionCouplingDry Ether

Solution

Correct Answer:

n-Butane

In Wurtz reaction, two alkyl halide molecules couple in presence of sodium and dry ether: 2 C2H5Br + 2 Na -> C4H10 + 2 NaBr. Coupling of two ethyl groups gives n-butane. The carbon count sanity check also confirms 2 + 2 = 4 carbons in product.

This easy difficulty chemistry question is from the chapter organic compounds containing halogens, covering the topic of wurtz reaction. It appeared in the 2025 exam.

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