Methane is the first member of the alkane series. It belongs to a group of compounds called aliphatic compounds. Among the hydrocarbons, it belongs to a group called paraffins. Methane being a paraffin, is not very reactive. It is the simplest hydrocarbon and the molecular formula of methane is `CH_(4)` . It is also called marsh gas because it is found bubbling in marshy places where it is produced by the bacterial decomposition of vegetable matters. It is found in natural gas. It is also produced when wood, peat and coal are dry distilled. It is also found in coal mines where it forms explosive mixture with air. It is called fire-damp by coal miners.
Natural gas is primarily composed of

Options

A. butane
B. pentane
C. methane
D. 2-methylbutane.

Answer

To answer the question regarding the composition of natural gas, we can break it down into the following steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Composition of Natural Gas
Natural gas is primarily composed of hydrocarbons, with methane (CH₄) being the most abundant component.

### Step 2: Identify the Main Component
Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon and constitutes a significant portion of natural gas. Typically, natural gas consists of about 70-90% methane.

### Step 3: Recognize Other Components
In addition to methane, natural gas may contain other hydrocarbons such as ethane (C₂H₆), propane (C₃H₈), and butane (C₄H₁₀), as well as impurities like carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen (N₂), and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S).

### Step 4: Conclude the Main Composition
Thus, we can conclude that natural gas is primarily composed of methane, along with smaller amounts of other hydrocarbons and impurities.

### Final Answer
Natural gas is primarily composed of methane (CH₄), which is the simplest and most abundant hydrocarbon in it.

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