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Webster 1913 Edition


ethane

eth′ane

(ĕth′ān)
,
Noun.
[From
Ether
.]
(Chem.)
A gaseous hydrocarbon,
C2H6
, forming a constituent of ordinary illuminating gas. It is the second member of the paraffin series, and its most important derivatives are common alcohol (ethyl alcohol), acetaldehyde, ether, and acetic acid. Called also
dimethyl
.

Definition 2024


ethane

ethane

See also: éthane

English

Noun

ethane (usually uncountable, plural ethanes)

  1. (organic chemistry, uncountable) An aliphatic hydrocarbon, C2H6, gaseous at normal temperatures and pressures, being a constituent of natural gas.
  2. (organic chemistry, countable) The same compound, subjected to modification by replacing one or more of the hydrogen atoms with other radicals.
    chlorinated ethanes; halogenated ethanes
    • 1959, A. F. Trotman-Dickenson, Free Radicals: An Introduction, page 45,
      The dissociation constants for ethanes in which the two halves of the molecule are different are not always close to the mean of the dissociation constants of the corresponding symmetrical ethanes.
    • 1968, Transactions of the Faraday Society, Volume 64, page 1573,
      Analysis of the ethane fraction also revealed anomalous deuteration of the ethane, the ethanes C2H5D, C2H4D2 and C2H3D3 being observed as well as C2H6. Ethanes with more than three D atoms were not detected.

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