A mixture containing ethane (CH3–CH3), ethene (CH2=CH2), and acetylene (HC≡CH) is exposed to a radical that abstracts hydrogen atoms. Based on relative bond energies, from which molecule’s C–H bond is the hydrogen most likely to be removed first?
(a) the C–H bond on an sp-hybridized carbon in acetylene
(b) the C–H bond on an sp2-hybridized carbon in ethene
(c) the C–H bond on an sp3-hybridized carbon in ethane
(d) All three C–H bonds are equally likely to be broken