Which one of the following compounds can be used to distinguish propane from propene?

Options

A. Aqueous `KMnO_(4)`
B. Dil `H_(2)SO_(4)`
C. `Br_(2)-H_(2)O`
D. Ammonical `AgNO_(3)`

Answer

To determine which compound can be used to distinguish propane from propene, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Compounds
- Propane (C3H8) is an alkane with single bonds.
- Propene (C3H6) is an alkene with a double bond.

### Step 2: Understand the Reactivity
- Alkenes (like propene) can undergo reactions due to the presence of a double bond.
- Alkanes (like propane) do not react in the same way because they lack double bonds.

### Step 3: Analyze the Given Compounds
1. **Aqueous KMnO4 (cold and dilute)**: This is a reagent that can oxidize alkenes. When propene reacts with KMnO4, it will oxidize and produce a brown precipitate of MnO2, indicating the presence of a double bond. Propane will not react, and the purple color of KMnO4 will remain unchanged.

2. **Dilute H2SO4**: This will not specifically distinguish between propane and propene as both can react under certain conditions, but it is not a definitive test.

3. **Bromine Water**: This can also distinguish between alkenes and alkanes. Propene will decolorize bromine water due to the addition reaction across the double bond, while propane will not.

4. **Ammoniacal Silver Nitrate**: This is typically used to test for alkynes (triple bonds) and does not provide a clear distinction between propane and propene.

### Step 4: Conclusion
The best reagents to distinguish propane from propene are **Aqueous KMnO4** and **Bromine Water**. However, since the question asks for one compound, we can conclude that **Aqueous KMnO4** is the most definitive answer because it gives a clear visual change (brown precipitate) when reacting with propene but not with propane.

### Final Answer
**Aqueous KMnO4 (cold and dilute)** can be used to distinguish propane from propene.

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