Calcium carbide is a simple compound, but it is fun because it liberates a flammable gas when water is added. It is produced by heating a mixture of calcium oxide and carbon (coke) at about 2000°C. A word equation for this reaction would be…
When water is added to calcium carbide the reaction liberates the gas ethyne (also known as acetylene). The word equation would be…
Ethyne is the simplest alkyne – which is a hydrocarbon with a carbon to carbon triple bond. Its atoms are arranged as shown in the diagram below.
Like all hydrocarbons, ethyne burns in air to form carbon dioxide and water. It does this quite vigorously and produces a very hot flame. It is used in welding equipment where it is mixed with pure oxygen to produce flames up to 3300°C.
Questions…
- What other name is sometimes used for calcium oxide?
- What other name is sometimes used for calcium hydroxide?
- Name three other hydrocarbons with their chemical formulae.
Comments