Ethylidene chloride is a/an…..

Options

A. vic-dihalide
B. gem-dihalide
C. allylic halide
D. vinylic halide

Answer

To determine what type of compound ethylidene chloride is, we will analyze its structure and the definitions of the different types of halides mentioned in the question.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Structure of Ethylidene Chloride**:
- Ethylidene chloride has the chemical formula C2H4Cl2. Its structure can be represented as:
```
Cl
|
H--C--C--H
|
Cl
```
- In this structure, we can see that there are two chlorine (Cl) atoms attached to the same carbon atom.

2. **Define the Types of Dihalides**:
- **Vicinal Dihalide**: This is a compound where two halogen atoms are attached to different carbon atoms.
- **Geminal Dihalide**: This is a compound where two halogen atoms are attached to the same carbon atom.
- **Allylic Halide**: This is a compound where a halogen atom is attached to an sp3 hybridized carbon atom that is adjacent to a carbon-carbon double bond.
- **Vinylic Halide**: This is a compound where a halogen atom is directly attached to an sp hybridized carbon atom in a double bond.

3. **Analyze the Options**:
- **Option 1: Vicinal Dihalide** - This is incorrect because the two Cl atoms are on the same carbon atom, not on different carbon atoms.
- **Option 2: Geminal Dihalide** - This is correct because both Cl atoms are attached to the same carbon atom.
- **Option 3: Allylic Halide** - This is incorrect because there is no carbon-carbon double bond adjacent to the carbon with the halogen.
- **Option 4: Vinylic Halide** - This is incorrect because the halogen is not attached to a carbon in a double bond.

4. **Conclusion**:
- Based on the analysis, ethylidene chloride is a **geminal dihalide** because it has two halogen atoms (chlorine) attached to the same carbon atom.

### Final Answer:
Ethylidene chloride is a **geminal dihalide**.