How will you prepare isobutane?

Explanation

To prepare isobutane, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the starting material
The starting material for the preparation of isobutane is 3-methylbutanoic acid.

### Step 2: Understand the decarboxylation process
Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that involves the removal of a carboxyl group (-COOH) from a carboxylic acid, resulting in the formation of a hydrocarbon.

### Step 3: Set up the reaction conditions
To perform the decarboxylation of 3-methylbutanoic acid, we will use soda lime, which is a mixture of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and calcium oxide (CaO). The reaction should be carried out at a temperature of approximately 640 Kelvin.

### Step 4: Write the reaction equation
The reaction can be represented as follows:
\[ \text{3-methylbutanoic acid (C}_5\text{H}_{10}\text{O}_2\text{) } \xrightarrow{\text{soda lime, 640 K}} \text{isobutane (C}_4\text{H}_{10}\text{) + CO}_2\text{ + H}_2\text{O} \]

### Step 5: Obtain isobutane
After the decarboxylation reaction, we will obtain isobutane (C4H10) as the final product.

### Final Reaction Summary
In summary, the preparation of isobutane involves the decarboxylation of 3-methylbutanoic acid using soda lime at high temperature, yielding isobutane along with carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.

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