ethane
a colorless, odorless, flammable gas, C2H6, of the methane series, present in natural gas, illuminating gas, and crude petroleum: used chiefly in organic synthesis and as a fuel gas.
Origin of ethane
1- Also called dimethyl.
Words Nearby ethane
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ethane in a sentence
For instance, in 1981, biophysicist Jacques Dubochet discovered that tiny biological structures supercooled with ethane could be observed in their natural state under an electron microscope.
Saturn’s moon Titan, meanwhile, might host exotic life in its ethane and methane lakes.
Within a second, heat “cracks” the bonds of each ethane molecule.
The Dirty Secret of America’s Clean Dishes | by Max Blau and Lylla Younes, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica | December 20, 2021 | ProPublicaRadar observations have detected the presence of rivers and lakes of liquid methane and ethane and possibly the presence of cryovolcanoes—volcano-like features that erupt liquid water rather than lava.
The Four Most Promising Worlds for Alien Life in the Solar System | Gareth Dorrian | September 24, 2020 | Singularity HubWe derived this substance from ethane by introducing a methyl group; hence it may be termed “methylethane.”
These last two compounds are termed unsaturated, whereas ethane is saturated.
All we need trouble about, however, is the first two, Methane and ethane.
The Romance of War Inventions | Thomas W. CorbinWe have pictured to ourselves the molecule of methane: let us do the same with ethane.
The Romance of War Inventions | Thomas W. CorbinAcetylene combines with hydrogen in the presence of platinum black, and ethylene and then ethane result.
Acetylene, The Principles Of Its Generation And Use | F. H. Leeds
British Dictionary definitions for ethane
/ (ˈiːθeɪn, ˈɛθ-) /
a colourless odourless flammable gaseous alkane obtained from natural gas and petroleum: used as a fuel and in the manufacture of organic chemicals. Formula: C 2 H 6
Origin of ethane
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for ethane
[ ĕth′ān′ ]
A colorless, odorless, flammable gas occurring in natural gas. It is used as a fuel and in refrigeration. Ethane is the second member of the alkane series. Chemical formula: C2H6.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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