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Ch.23 - Organic and Biological Chemistry
Chapter 23, Problem 42

Draw a straight-chain alkane with 6 carbon atoms as a condensed structure and as a line drawing.

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand that a straight-chain alkane with 6 carbon atoms is called hexane. Alkanes are hydrocarbons with only single bonds between carbon atoms.
Step 2: For the condensed structure, write the molecular formula for hexane, which is C₆H₁₄. This indicates 6 carbon atoms and 14 hydrogen atoms.
Step 3: Construct the condensed structural formula by arranging the carbon atoms in a straight line and attaching the appropriate number of hydrogen atoms to each carbon. The condensed formula for hexane is CH₃(CH₂)₄CH₃.
Step 4: For the line drawing, represent each carbon atom as a vertex (or end of a line) and each bond as a line. In line drawings, hydrogen atoms are typically not shown explicitly.
Step 5: Draw a zigzag line with 5 segments, where each vertex represents a carbon atom. This is the line drawing representation of hexane.