Isooctane, the substance in gasoline from which the term octane rating derives, has the formula C 8 H 18 . Each carbon has four covalent bonds, and the atoms are connected in the sequence shown. Draw the complete structural formula of isooctane.

Hello. Everyone in this video we're being told that is a beauty. So as a molecular formula of this right here is used in refineries to create gasoline grade compounds. Each carbon atom follows the octet rule while each hydrogen only forms one bond due to the duet rule, the sequence of carbon atoms is shown below. So right over here we have are being asked to provide the complete structural formula for isil butane. So the structure is missing hydrant atoms, Each carbon is at is bonded to one carbon. So to complete the structure, we simply add the missing hydrogen atoms. So carbon has a trend where it likes to have four bonds. It can be a triple bond, a single bond or a double bond as long as it has those four bonds. And hydrogen, like we said already likes to form one bonds because of the duet role that's two electrons. So it usually is a terminal atom starting off of this top carbon here, we are only connected to one other carbon. So we need three other bonds. We can simply add in three more hydrants to it. And now we can see that we have four bonds and the carbon is happy Same thing for the hydrant. We have one bond. So the hydrants are happy there as well. So these three carbons are actually identical. So we know we're gonna do the same exact thing. So we can go ahead and just add three high regions here and three Hodgins here Now for our central carbon right in the middle here we have 123 bonds. So we can go ahead and add one more hydrogen there. So my final answer is going to be this molecule here, with the terminal hydrants being included in the structure.

Ch.23 - Organic and Biological Chemistry

McMurry8th EditionChemistryISBN: 9781292336145Not the one you use?Change textbook

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McMurry 8th Edition

Ch.23 - Organic and Biological Chemistry

Problem 144

Chapter 23, Problem 144

Isooctane, the substance in gasoline from which the term octane rating derives, has the formula C₈H₁₈. Each carbon has four covalent bonds, and the atoms are connected in the sequence shown. Draw the complete structural formula of isooctane.

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the molecular formula of isooctane, which is C8H18. This means there are 8 carbon atoms and 18 hydrogen atoms in the molecule.

Step 2: Remember that each carbon atom forms four covalent bonds. This is a fundamental property of carbon due to its four valence electrons.

Step 3: Start drawing the structure by arranging the carbon atoms. Isooctane has a branched structure, with a chain of five carbon atoms and three carbon atoms branching off the second carbon atom in the chain.

Step 4: After arranging the carbon atoms, add the hydrogen atoms. Each carbon atom should be bonded to enough hydrogen atoms such that each carbon atom forms a total of four bonds.

Step 5: Check your structure. Make sure that each carbon atom is forming four bonds (with either carbon or hydrogen), and that you have used all 8 carbon atoms and 18 hydrogen atoms.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Covalent Bonding

Covalent bonding occurs when two atoms share pairs of electrons, allowing them to achieve a full outer shell and greater stability. In organic compounds like isooctane, carbon atoms typically form four covalent bonds, which can be with other carbon atoms or with hydrogen atoms. This bonding is fundamental to understanding the structure and properties of organic molecules.

Structural Formula

A structural formula represents the arrangement of atoms within a molecule, showing how atoms are bonded together. It provides more detail than a molecular formula by illustrating the connectivity and spatial orientation of atoms. For isooctane, the structural formula will depict the carbon backbone and the hydrogen atoms attached to each carbon.

Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are organic compounds composed solely of carbon and hydrogen atoms. They can be classified into aliphatic (straight or branched chains) and aromatic (ring structures) hydrocarbons. Isooctane, being a branched-chain alkane, is an example of a saturated hydrocarbon, where all carbon-carbon bonds are single bonds, contributing to its stability and energy content in fuels.