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An alkane has 11 carbon atoms arranged within ring structures as shown below. what is the molecular formula of the alkane?
The alkane in the image has 11 carbon atoms, each bonded to two other carbon atoms, except for the carbons on the edges, which are bonded to three other carbon atoms.
Each carbon atom in an alkane needs two bonds to hydrogen atoms to fulfill the octet rule. However, in a cyclic alkane, some of the bonds that would normally be used for hydrogen are used to form the ring.
In this alkane, each carbon atom is still bonded to two hydrogens, except for the carbons on the edges, which are bonded to one hydrogen.
Therefore, the molecular formula of the alkane is C11H20.
Here’s the breakdown:
- C11: There are 11 carbon atoms in the molecule.
- H20: Each carbon atom needs two hydrogens to fulfill the octet rule, and there are 11 carbon atoms, so there should be 22 hydrogens. However, two of the carbons are on the edges of the ring and are only bonded to one hydrogen each, so there are a total of 20 hydrogens.
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