The primary component of natural gas

1. Analyze the question The question asks which hydrocarbon makes up the largest part of natural gas.

2. Explain the concept Natural gas is a mixture of gaseous alkanes found underground, often alongside crude oil. The lightest alkanes dominate the mixture:

• Methane (CH₄): about 70-95%, the main component
• Ethane (C₂H₆): about 1-10%
• Propane (C₃H₈) and butane (C₄H₁₀): small amounts. They are usually separated out and sold as LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), the cooking gas commonly used in Nigerian homes.

3. Work through the options

• A. Ethane is present, but only in a minor proportion.
• B. Methane is the simplest alkane and by far the most abundant part of natural gas.
• C. Butane is present only in small amounts.
• D. Propane is also present only in small amounts.

4. Answer The primary component of natural gas is methane, which is option B.

5. Exam tip Remember the pattern: the smaller the alkane, the more of it in natural gas. Methane → ethane → propane → butane goes from most to least abundant. Also note that "biogas" and "marsh gas" are mainly methane too, so any question about them has the same answer.