JEE Main20266 April 2026Morning ShiftChemistryHydrocarbonsActual
Given below are two statements: Statement I: Methane can be prepared by decarboxylation of sodium ethanoate, Kolbe's electrolysis of sodium acetate and reaction of CH ₃ MgBr with water. Statement II: Methane cannot be prepared from unsaturated hydrocarbons and by Wurtz reaction. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below
Options
- ABoth Statement I and Statement II are true
- BBoth Statement I and Statement II are false
- CStatement I is true but Statement II is false
- DStatement I is false but Statement II is true
Correct answer
D. Statement I is false but Statement II is true
Step-by-step solution
Statement I is false because Kolbe's electrolysis of sodium acetate produces ethane, not methane. The reaction is: 2 CH ₃ COONa + 2 H ₂ O Electrolysis CH ₃- CH ₃ + 2 CO ₂ + H ₂ + 2 NaOH . Decarboxylation of sodium ethanoate and the reaction of CH ₃ MgBr with water do produce methane. Statement II is true because the simplest unsaturated hydrocarbon is ethene ( C ₂ H ₄ ), which upon hydrogenation yields ethane, meaning methane cannot be prepared from unsaturated hydrocarbons. Additionally, the Wurtz reaction involve