When potassium acetate is electrolysed, we get

Options

A. methane
B. ethane
C. acetylene
D. ethylene

Answer

To determine the products formed when potassium acetate (CH3COOK) is electrolyzed, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Electrolysis Process**:
Electrolysis involves breaking down a compound into its components using electrical energy. In this case, we are looking at potassium acetate.

2. **Write the Chemical Formula**:
The chemical formula for potassium acetate is CH3COOK. It consists of potassium ions (K+), acetate ions (CH3COO-), and water (H2O) when dissolved in solution.

3. **Identify the Electrolysis Reaction**:
When potassium acetate is electrolyzed, the reaction can be represented as:
\[ CH3COOK + H2O \rightarrow \text{Products} \]
The electrolysis will lead to the formation of various products.

4. **Products of Electrolysis**:
During the electrolysis of potassium acetate, the following products are formed:
- At the **anode** (positive electrode), oxidation occurs, leading to the formation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and potassium hydroxide (KOH).
- At the **cathode** (negative electrode), reduction occurs, resulting in the formation of hydrogen gas (H2) and ethane (C2H6).

5. **Balanced Reaction**:
The overall balanced reaction for the electrolysis of potassium acetate can be summarized as:
\[ 2 CH3COOK + 2 H2O \rightarrow 2 C2H6 + 2 CO2 + 2 KOH + H2 \]
This indicates that for every two moles of potassium acetate, two moles of ethane, carbon dioxide, potassium hydroxide, and hydrogen gas are produced.

6. **Conclusion**:
Therefore, the main products obtained from the electrolysis of potassium acetate are ethane (C2H6), carbon dioxide (CO2), potassium hydroxide (KOH), and hydrogen gas (H2).