Etymology
The word "butane" is derived from the following sources:
Meaning and Origin
Butane is a four-carbon alkane hydrocarbon with the molecular formula C₄H₁₀. It is a colorless, flammable gas with a characteristic odor.
The name "butane" was coined by the French chemist Marcellin Berthelot in 1863. Berthelot prepared butane by heating isobutyl alcohol with sulfuric acid. He observed that the resulting gas had a similar composition and properties to propane, a three-carbon alkane that he had previously discovered.
Berthelot named butane "butane" based on its relationship to propanoic acid. Propanoic acid is a three-carbon carboxylic acid with the molecular formula C₃H₆O₂. By removing the carboxyl group (-COOH) from propanoic acid, we obtain propyl alcohol (C₃H₇OH). When propyl alcohol is dehydrated, it forms propene (C₃H₆), a three-carbon alkene. Butane can be obtained by adding two hydrogen atoms to propene.
Therefore, the name "butane" reflects its relationship to propanoic acid and its status as a four-carbon alkane.
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Etymology Old French instinct Latin instinctus Past participle of instinguere
Etymology Latin assiduus constant diligent Proto Indo European h₂ses to se
