Textbook Question
(a) What is meant by the term isomer?
Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
Brown14th EditionChemistry: The Central ScienceISBN: 9780134414232
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Table of contents
- Ch.1 - Introduction: Matter, Energy, and Measurement177
- Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules, and Ions231
- Ch.3 - Chemical Reactions and Reaction Stoichiometry216
- Ch.4 - Reactions in Aqueous Solution189
- Ch.5 - Thermochemistry175
- Ch.6 - Electronic Structure of Atoms168
- Ch.7 - Periodic Properties of the Elements150
- Ch.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding177
- Ch.9 - Molecular Geometry and Bonding Theories200
- Ch.10 - Gases179
- Ch.11 - Liquids and Intermolecular Forces113
- Ch.12 - Solids and Modern Materials154
- Ch.13 - Properties of Solutions157
- Ch.14 - Chemical Kinetics199
- Ch.15 - Chemical Equilibrium128
- Ch.16 - Acid-Base Equilibria164
- Ch.17 - Additional Aspects of Aqueous Equilibria163
- Ch.18 - Chemistry of the Environment105
- Ch.19 - Chemical Thermodynamics164
- Ch.20 - Electrochemistry171
- Ch.21 - Nuclear Chemistry122
- Ch.22 - Chemistry of the Nonmetals82
- Ch.23 - Transition Metals and Coordination Chemistry79
- Ch.24 - The Chemistry of Life: Organic and Biological Chemistry16
Brown14th EditionChemistry: The Central ScienceISBN: 9780134414232Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 2, Problem 81b3
(b) Pentane is the alkane with a chain of five carbon atoms. Determine its empirical formula.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that the empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound.
Recall that pentane is an alkane with five carbon atoms, and alkanes follow the general molecular formula where is the number of carbon atoms.
Substitute into the formula to find the molecular formula of pentane: .
Determine the ratio of carbon to hydrogen atoms in the molecular formula, which is 5:12.
Since 5 and 12 have no common factors other than 1, the empirical formula is the same as the molecular formula: .
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Alkanes and Their Structure
Alkanes are hydrocarbons consisting only of single bonds between carbon atoms, forming a saturated chain. Pentane specifically has five carbon atoms connected in a straight chain, with hydrogen atoms filling the remaining valences. Understanding the structure helps determine the molecular formula.
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Naming Alkanes Example
Molecular Formula vs. Empirical Formula
The molecular formula shows the exact number of each atom in a molecule, while the empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms. For pentane, the molecular formula is C5H12, and the empirical formula is derived by simplifying this ratio.
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Determining Empirical Formula
To find the empirical formula, divide the number of atoms of each element in the molecular formula by their greatest common divisor. For pentane (C5H12), since 5 and 12 share no common divisor other than 1, the empirical formula remains C5H12.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
(a) What is a functional group?
Textbook Question
(b) Pentane is the alkane with a chain of five carbon atoms. Determine its molecular formula.
Textbook Question
(b) Among the four alkanes, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane, which is capable of existing in isomeric forms?
Textbook Question
(a) What is a hydrocarbon?
Textbook Question
Assume that you encounter the following sentences in your reading. What is the chemical formula for each substance mentioned? (c) Hydrogen cyanide is a very poisonous gas.