How do you account for the formation of ethane during chlorination of methane ?

Explanation

To account for the formation of ethane during the chlorination of methane, we can break down the process into several steps, focusing on the mechanism of the reaction. Here’s a step-by-step explanation:

### Step 1: Initiation
The first step involves the generation of chlorine radicals. Chlorine gas (Cl2) undergoes homolytic cleavage in the presence of sunlight or heat (520 to 670 Kelvin). This means that the bond between the two chlorine atoms breaks evenly, resulting in the formation of two chlorine radicals:

\[ \text{Cl}_2 \xrightarrow{h\nu} 2 \text{Cl}^\cdot \]

### Step 2: Formation of Methyl Radical
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