Question

When acetylene reacts with arsenic trichloride in the presence of anhydrous aluminum chloride, it produces
A. Lewisite
B. ${\rm{\beta }}$- chlorovinyl dichloro arsine
C. Nitrobenzene
D. Both (A) and (B)

Answer 1

Acetylene is a 2 carbon compound and its IUPAC name is ethene, having a double bond between the two carbon atoms, whereas arsenic trichloride is just an arsenic atom bonded with 3 chloride atom. The same goes for aluminum trichloride.

Complete answer:
Let’s write the chemical equation, for the given question and carefully observe the product;
${\rm{AsC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}}{\rm{ + }}{{\rm{C}}_{\rm{2}}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{2}}}\xrightarrow{{{\rm{AlC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}}}}{\rm{ }}{{\rm{C}}_2}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{AsC}}{{\rm{l}}_3}$
The product formed is called Lewisite (${{\rm{C}}_2}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{AsC}}{{\rm{l}}_3}$)
Lewisite is an organoarsenic compound (consist of organic component ethene and arsenic component) and just like other arsenic chlorides, hydrolysed in water and form hydrochloric acid and ${\rm{\beta }}$- chlorovinyl dichloro arsine, the reaction can be written as;
${{\rm{C}}_2}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{AsC}}{{\rm{l}}_3}\xrightarrow{{{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}}}{\rm{HCl + }}{{\rm{C}}_2}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{As(OH}}{{\rm{)}}_2}$
We can see two products are being formed and the products are Lewisite and ${\rm{\beta }}$- chlorovinyl dichloro arsine.

**Hence, the correct answer is option is (D)i.e., both (A) and (B).

Additional information:**
Lewisite is a colourless, odorless harmful chemical gas, used as a chemical weapon in world wars especially in world war 2,
It can cause pain and lung irritation, and if not treated can be deadly too. Lewisite has no medical use what so over, it was only used as a chemical weapon.

Note:
The answer to this question has lied in the chemical equation or reaction, therefore to articulate a compound through its name becomes important, most of the time, compounds have their molecular formula similar to its name e.g., Carbon dioxide (${\rm{C}}{{\rm{O}}_2}$) and carbon monoxide (CO) or as in this case arsenic trichloride (${\rm{AsC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}}$), etc