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Ch.3 - Molecules, Compounds & Chemical Equations
Chapter 3, Problem 118

Write the formula based on the name, or the name based on the formula, for each hydrocarbon: a. CH3CH3 b. pentane c. CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3 d. heptane.

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1
Identify the type of hydrocarbon: alkanes, alkenes, or alkynes. In this case, all are alkanes, which are saturated hydrocarbons with single bonds.
For part a, recognize that CH3CH3 is the molecular formula for ethane, which is the simplest alkane with two carbon atoms.
For part b, the name 'pentane' indicates an alkane with five carbon atoms. The molecular formula is C5H12.
For part c, count the number of carbon atoms in CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3, which is six. This corresponds to hexane.
For part d, the name 'heptane' indicates an alkane with seven carbon atoms. The molecular formula is C7H16.