When sodium propionate is heated with soda lime the product formed is

Options

A. methane
B. ethane
C. ethene
D. ethyne

Answer

To solve the question of what product is formed when sodium propionate is heated with soda lime, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Reactants
Sodium propionate is a sodium salt of propanoic acid, with the chemical formula C2H5COONa. Soda lime is a mixture of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and calcium oxide (CaO) and is commonly used in decarboxylation reactions.

**Hint:** Identify the chemical structure of sodium propionate and the components of soda lime.

### Step 2: Identify the Reaction Type
When sodium propionate is heated with soda lime, it undergoes a decarboxylation reaction. Decarboxylation involves the removal of a carboxyl group (-COOH) from a carboxylic acid, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide (CO2).

**Hint:** Recall that decarboxylation reactions typically release CO2 and convert carboxylic acids or their salts into hydrocarbons.

### Step 3: Write the Reaction
The reaction can be represented as follows:

\[ \text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{COONa} + \text{NaOH} \xrightarrow{\Delta} \text{C}_2\text{H}_6 + \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 \]

Here, sodium propionate reacts with sodium hydroxide to produce ethane (C2H6) and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3).

**Hint:** Ensure to balance the reaction and identify all products formed.

### Step 4: Identify the Product
From the reaction, we can see that the primary product formed is ethane (C2H6). Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) is also formed as a byproduct.

**Hint:** Focus on the main organic product when asked for the product of the reaction.

### Conclusion
When sodium propionate is heated with soda lime, the main product formed is ethane (C2H6).

**Final Answer:** Ethane (C2H6)