Question

Which reactant should be used to convert propene to 2-chloropropane?

1) Hydrochloric acid
2) Chlorine gas
3) Sodium chloride
4) Chloroform

Answer 1

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) should be used to convert propene to 2-chloropropane, following Markovnikov's rule.

Step-by-step explanation:

To convert propene to 2-chloropropane, the appropriate reactant to use is hydrochloric acid (HCl). When hydrochloric acid reacts with a double bond in propene, it adds across the double bond through a process known as hydrohalogenation. The addition of HCl to propene leads to the formation of 2-chloropropane. This reaction follows Markovnikov's rule, which states that in the addition of HX to an alkene, the hydrogen atom attaches to the carbon with the greater number of hydrogen atoms already attached, and the halogen attaches to the carbon with fewer hydrogen atoms.

The reaction can be represented by the equation:

CH3CH=CH2 + HCl → CH3CHClCH3