Chlorine free radicals react with methane by

Options

A. donating their free-radicals electron to methane to from chloromethane
B. abstracting a hydrogen atom form methane, and producing `HCI` and methyl radical
C. forming a carbanion intermediate that rapidly dissociates to produce chloromethane
D. forming a carbonium ion intermediate that reapidly dissociate to from chloromethane

Answer

To solve the question regarding how chlorine free radicals react with methane, we will analyze the reaction step by step.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Reactants**:
- We have chlorine free radicals (Cl•) and methane (CH₄). Chlorine free radicals are highly reactive species that can initiate reactions by abstracting atoms from other molecules.

2. **Initiation of Reaction**:
- The chlorine free radical reacts with methane by abstracting a hydrogen atom from the methane molecule. This is a key step in the reaction mechanism.

3. **Formation of Products**:
- When the chlorine free radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from methane (CH₄), it forms hydrochloric acid (HCl) and a methyl free radical (CH₃•).
- The reaction can be summarized as:
\[ \text{Cl•} + \text{CH₄} \rightarrow \text{HCl} + \text{CH₃•} \]

4. **Further Reaction of Methyl Radical**:
- The methyl free radical (CH₃•) can then react with another chlorine molecule (Cl₂) to form chloromethane (CH₃Cl) and regenerate the chlorine free radical.
- This step can be summarized as:
\[ \text{CH₃•} + \text{Cl₂} \rightarrow \text{CH₃Cl} + \text{Cl•} \]

5. **Conclusion**:
- The primary mechanism involves the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from methane by the chlorine free radical, leading to the formation of HCl and a methyl radical. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is option B: "by abstracting a hydrogen atom from methane and producing HCl and a methyl radical."

### Final Answer:
**B: By abstracting a hydrogen atom from methane and producing HCl and a methyl radical.**