Which of the following compounds could have the molecular formula ?
A)hexane
B)pentane
C)2-methylheptane
D)2,3-dimethylpentane
E)3-ethylhexane

Question

Which of the following compounds could have the molecular formula   ?
A)hexane 
B)pentane 
C)2-methylheptane 
D)2,3-dimethylpentane 
E)3-ethylhexane

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The molecular formula of a compound gives information about the number of atoms of each element in one molecule of the compound. The molecular formula of the given compound is 11eaa640_f7fd_9470_842f_ad9f0f89ef4b_TB6909_11 11eaa640_f7fd_bb81_842f_3139996ba763_TB6909_11, which does not give any information about the structure of the compound. However, we can use the general formula for alkane molecules, which is CnH2n+2. From this formula, we can calculate that a compound with 11 carbons will have 24 hydrogen atoms. Among the choices given, only 2,3-dimethylpentane has 11 carbons and 24 hydrogen atoms. Therefore, the answer is D.

Which of the Following Compounds Could Have the Molecular Formula