Question

Acetylene is hydrogenated to form ethane. What does the feed to the reactor contain?

1) Acetylene and hydrogen
2) Ethane and hydrogen
3) Acetylene and ethane
4) Ethane and water

Answer 1

The reactor feed in the hydrogenation of acetylene to form ethane consists of acetylene and hydrogen, making option 1 the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the hydrogenation of acetylene to form ethane, the feed to the reactor contains acetylene and hydrogen. Therefore, the correct answer is option 1: Acetylene and hydrogen. This process involves adding hydrogen (H2) to acetylene (C2H2), with the possible end products being ethylene (C2H4) or ethane (C2H6). The hydrogenation reaction is typically performed with a catalyst such as platinum, which facilitates the addition of hydrogen to the carbon-carbon triple bond found in acetylene, converting it to a single bond and forming ethane.