Question

What reaction would acetylene likely to undergo if it were kept at $\mathbf{1500}{}^o\mathbf{C}$ for too long?

Short answer

When acetylene is kept at $1500{}^{\mathrm{o}}\mathrm{C}$for too long, it will decompose into carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) elements.

Step-by-step solution

Step-by-Step SolutionStep 1: Decomposition Reaction 

The chemical reaction that is accountable for making more than two products from one reactant only is called a decomposition reaction.

Several factors like heat (thermal decomposition), light (photochemical decomposition), and electricity (electrical decomposition) initiate these decomposition chemical reactions.

Reaction of acetylene when kept at 1500 oC

Acetylene is thermodynamically unstable; therefore, it decomposes into its elements when kept at $1500{}^{\mathrm{o}}\mathrm{C}$for too long.

The decomposition reaction of acetylene is exothermic $\left({\text{ΔH}}^{\text{0}}\text{=-234\hspace{0.17em}kJ/mol}\right)$, and entropy also increases, which will affect $\Delta G$(Gibbs free energy). At $1500{}^{\mathrm{o}}\mathrm{C}$kinetically, all activation energy barriers will be overcome.

The decomposition reaction of acetylene at $\text{1500\hspace{0.17em}}{}^{\text{ο}}\text{C}$is represented as: