What is the Difference Between Chloroethane and Chlorobenzene?

The main difference between chloroethane and chlorobenzene lies in their molecular structure, reactivity, and physical properties. Here are the key differences:

1. Structure: Chloroethane is an aliphatic compound, while chlorobenzene is an aromatic compound. In chlorobenzene, chlorine is directly attached to the benzene ring, resulting in resonance, which makes the carbon-chlorine bond stronger than a single bond.
2. Reactivity: Due to the resonance in chlorobenzene, the carbon-chlorine bond is stronger, making it less reactive towards nucleophilic substitution reactions. On the other hand, chloroethane is more reactive towards nucleophilic substitution reactions because it has an alkyl C-Cl bond, which is polar due to the sp3 hybridization.
3. Reaction with KOH: Chloroethane can react with alc. KOH, forming an alkene, while chlorobenzene does not react with alc. KOH due to its partial double bond character.
4. Physical Properties: Chlorobenzene is usually found as a flammable liquid, while chloroethane is a gas at room temperature.

To summarize, chloroethane and chlorobenzene differ in their molecular structure, with chloroethane being an aliphatic compound and chlorobenzene being an aromatic compound. This difference in structure leads to variations in their reactivity and physical properties.

Comparative Table: Chloroethane vs Chlorobenzene

Here is a table comparing the differences between chloroethane and chlorobenzene:

Chloroethane is an aliphatic organic compound, while chlorobenzene is an aromatic organic compound. Chloroethane usually occurs as a flammable gas, whereas chlorobenzene is a flammable liquid. When reacted with KOH and an alcohol, chloroethane forms an alkene, while chlorobenzene shows no reaction. In terms of reactivity in nucleophilic substitution reactions, chloroethane is more reactive than chlorobenzene due to the difference in carbon hybridization (sp3 in chloroethane and sp2 in chlorobenzene).