DISCUSSION

In this experiment, synthesis and characterization of Alkane, Alkene and Alkyne will
be examined. Aliphatic hydrocarbons are divided into three classes : alkanes are saturated
hydrocarbons that contain only carbon-carbon single bonds; alkenes are unsaturated
hydrocarbons that contain at least one carbon-carbon double bond; and alkynes are
unsaturated hydrocarbons that contain at least one carbon-carbon triple bond.
According on the result for methane is member of alkanes family there is no reaction
in the dark but in bright or sunlight the bromine colour is discharged and the solution become
colourless. When blow the breath across the mouth test tubes both solution turn cloudy
because the present of HBr. Reaction with bromine gives an alkyl bromide.

light

CH
4
(g) + Br
2
(l)

CH
3
Br(g) + HBr(g)
Alkanes can be identified using bromine dissolved in CCl
4
. The dissolved bromine (Br
2
) is a
brown liquid and the disappearance of the brown colour indicates a reaction has taken place.
Alkenes and alkynes also react with bromine in CCl
4
but their reactions are rapid while the
alkane requires light and is very slow. Aromatics do not react at all with bromine under these
conditions. Since the reaction is so slow, the disappearance of the brown colour may be hard
to observe. This type of reaction is called a substitution reaction since the bromine is being
substituted for the hydrogen.
Alkenes and alkynes both have very reactive multiple carbon bonds and behave
similarly in most reactions. Usually, the triple bond is changed to a double bond and the
resulting compound reacts as an alkene. Alkenes can be distinguished from alkanes and
aromatic hydrocarbons by their rapid reaction with bromine in CCl
4
. The aromatic compounds
do not react, while the alkane is very slow. The alkenes do not need light to react with
bromine. This reaction provides a way to test for alkenes or alkynes. Solutions of bromine in
CCl
4
have an intense red-orange color. When Bromine in CCl
4
is mixed with a sample of an
alkane, no change is initially observed. When it is mixed with an alkene or alkyne, the colour
of Bromine rapidly disappears.
Evidence of a reaction is the disappearance of the brown colour of the bromine in
CCl
4
. It should also be noted that no acidic gas is given off. This type of reaction is called an
addition reaction because the bromine is being added to the chain. An additional test to
determine whether or not a compound is an unsaturated hydrocarbon is known as the Baeyer
Test. Potassium permanganate (KMnO
4
) is purple. When added to an unsaturated
hydrocarbon, the purple colour will change to a brown colour (MnO
2
) that indicates a reaction
has taken place.
The reaction between ethene and bromine to form dibromoethane and ethyne and
bromine to form tetrabromoethane are one of the addition reactions of alkenes and alkynes.
Hydrogen bromide (HBr) adds across a C=C double bond to form the corresponding alkyl
bromide, in which the hydrogen ends up on the carbon atom that had more hydrogen atoms to
begin with.
The successes of the experiment show that achieving main of the observation. The
observation is success for all the hydrocarbon used moreover this experiment also determine
the synthesize and characterize of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon. Although that in
this experiment actually have an error that occur which is the wrong technique when collect
the methane , ethene and ethyne (over water) . Other than that ,when weighing of aluminium
oxide and anhydrous sodium carbonate the electronic weight must be in zero before start
weight .
By this improvement which is we must repeat the experiment three times to avoid
parallex error and get accurate reading when weighing. Next, when gas was collected in test
tubes must be quickly closed the test tubes with the cork to avoid excessive gas use.







CONCLUSION
The overall objectives of this experiment is to identify the synthesis and
characterization of alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. The hydrocarbons were to be tested
according to their reduction of any halogenated derivatives of alkanes , Bromine dissolved in
carbon tetrachloride and Baeyer test . To elaborate , they were categorized and from the
results were inferred whether saturated or unsaturated. Hydrocarbons may be saturated which
means that each carbon is bonded to four other atoms through single covalent bonds, thus it
creates the maximum number of hydrogen in a compound due to the absence of any
substituent. Hydrogen atoms usually occupy all available bonding positions after the carbons
have bonded to each other. While, unsaturated hydrocarbons contain either double or triple
bonds. Alkenes as unsaturated compounds are also called olefins and they form oily liquids on
reaction with halides like bromine gas.












APPENDIX
1. What do 'saturated' and 'unsaturated' mean when applied to hydrocarbons? Give
examples of a saturated hydrocarbon and an unsaturated hydrocarbon.[5 marks]
Saturated hydrocarbon mean compound that contain only single bond such as
Alkane.
While unsaturated mean compound that contains a multiple bonds such as
Alkene and Alkyne.
2. Give Five (5) sources of methane. [5 marks]
Fossil Fuel Mining/Distribution : Methane is always found wherever there are
fossil fuel extracted from the earth whether it is natural gas coal or oil.
Livestock : From animal and during their normal digestion process they create
large amounts of methane.
Landfills : The organic matter in our garbage or open landfill gets trapped in
conditions where there is no oxygen(anaerobic) and because of this large
amounts of methane is created.
Biogas : Generated by the fermentation of organic matter including manure.
wastewater sludge.
Carbon dioxide and hydrogen or carbon monoxide and hydrogen : Through
chemical reactions.
3. Describe reactions that are characteristics of alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. [5 marks]
Alkanes Alkenes Alkynes
1) Halogenations: This
involves replacement of
hydrogen atom by halogen
atom.
a) Chlorination: Alkanes
react with chlorine in
presence U.V light or
diffused sunlight or at
temperature 300-400
o
C to
form the corresponding
i) Addition of Hydrogen:
Addition of hydrogen to
alkenes takes place under
pressure and in the
presence of catalyst like
Ni, Pt or Pd to produce
saturated hydrocarbons.
This is called catalytic
hydrogenation.
ii) Addition of Halogen:
Alkenes reacts to halogen
1) Addition of Hydrogen:
In presence of catalyst like
finely divided Ni, Pt, or
Pd, alkynes add two
molecule of hydrogen to
give corresponding
alkanes. The reaction can
be stopped at alkene stage
by using Lindlars
Catalyst (Pd deactivated
substituted products.
For example :Methane
reacts with chlorine to give
mixture of different
substituted products.
It is difficult to stop this
reaction at first step.
However, the yield of
CH
3
Cl can be improved by
taking excess of methane.
Ethane and higher alkanes
react with chlorine in a
similar way and all possible
substitution products are
obtained.
2)Aromatisation:
Conversion of aliphatic
compound to aromatic
compounds is known as
aromatisation. Alkanes
containing 6-10 carbon
atoms are converted into
benzene and its
homologous at high
temperature and in the
presence of catalyst.
3)Sulphonation:This
involves replacement of
hydrogen atom by SO
3
H
group. It is carried out by
heating alkanes with
fuming sulphuric acid or at
higher temperature.
in presence of inert solvent
to give dihalogen
derivative for example.
iii)Addition of Hydrogen
Halide-(Hydro
halogenation) : Addition
of Hydrogen halide to
alkene produce alkyl
halides. In case of
symmetrical alkene only
one alkyl halide is formed
but when the olefin is
unsymmetrical two
products are possible.

by BaSO
4
+ quinoline)
2) Addition of Halogen:
Halogens add to alkyne to
form first dihalide and
then tetra halide.
3) Addition of Halogen
Acids: Two molecule of
halogen acids can be
added to symmetrical
alkynes in two stages.
After addition of one
molecule alkyne become
unsymmetrical derivative
of alkene so that the
addition of a second
molecule takes place
according to
Markonikovs rule . Thus
both the halogens become
attached to the same
carbon atom.
In case of unsymmetrical
alkynes addition takes
place in accordance with
Markonikovs rule.

4. Write a balanced equation for the reaction which methane was obtained by the
reduction of chloroform.[5 marks]

RX reduction HX
Chloroform (CHCl
3
) is made by taking methane adding chlorine and then heating the
compound up until between 400 and 500 degrees Celsius. Methane (CH
4
) can be obtained
from manure from animals when the manure ferments over time. Chlorine gas (Cl
2
) was
invented in week 4. The chemical formula for this is:

CH
4
+ Cl
2
CH
3
Cl + HCl

After this, you take the CH
3
Cl, or chloromethane, and repeat the process with the
chloromethane instead of the methane. This causes the products to contain progressively more
chlorine:
CH
3
Cl + Cl
2
CH
2
Cl
2
+ HCl

Then repeat the process again using dichloromethane, and then chloroform respectively:

CH
2
Cl
2
+ Cl
2
CHCl
3
+ HCl
CHCl
3
+ Cl
2
CH
4
+ HCl

The products formed are: chloromethane, dichloromethane, chloroform, and carbon
tetrachloride. They are then separated by distillation.

5. Provide 2 (TWO) other methods of collecting gas that can be used in this
experiment.[5 marks]
Cracking hydrocarbon. In this experiment the vapour of liquid paraffin (a mixture
of saturated hydrocarbons) is cracked by passing it over a heated catalyst. The
mixture of gaseous short-chain hydrocarbons produced is collected and tested
for unsaturation with bromine water and acidified potassium manganate(VII)
solution.
Thermal cracking (by heat).