Write a possible molecular formula for C4H4O.
A) C8H8O2
B) C12H12O2
C) C2H2O
D) C8H8O
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct molecular formula for C4H4O is not directly listed in the options provided, but let me explain the reasoning behind it.
Analysis of C4H4O
The molecular formula C4H4O consists of:
- 4 Carbon (C) atoms
- 4 Hydrogen (H) atoms
- 1 Oxygen (O) atom
This formula represents a compound that could be something like a small organic molecule, potentially with a functional group like a carbonyl (C=O), hydroxyl (OH), or ether (C-O-C) group. The general molecular structure would need to respect the number of atoms and bonds that can form between them.
Analyzing the Choices:
A) C8H8O2
This represents a molecule with 8 carbon atoms, 8 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms. This does not match the molecular formula C4H4O. This formula might represent a larger molecule like a substituted phenol (e.g., acetophenone or phenol derivatives), but it doesn’t correspond to the formula C4H4O.
B) C12H12O2
This has 12 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms. Again, this does not match the C4H4O formula.
C) C2H2O
This molecular formula contains 2 carbon atoms, 2 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom. It is far too small to match C4H4O, so this is also incorrect.
D) C8H8O
This option represents a molecule with 8 carbon atoms, 8 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom. This formula is close to the molecular formula of C4H4O if we consider a dimerization or another reaction involving the smaller compound C4H4O, but it does not directly match.
The correct molecular formula for C4H4O:
A possible compound with the formula C4H4O could be Cyclobutene-1-carbaldehyde, which contains 4 carbon atoms, 4 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom.
The image above shows the structure of a compound that could correspond to C4H4O, specifically Cyclobutene-1-carbaldehyde. This molecule consists of a four-membered cyclobutene ring with a carbaldehyde group attached to one of the carbons.
Given the molecular formula of C4H4O, we can conclude that the most suitable representation corresponds to a small organic molecule, such as cyclobutene-1-carbaldehyde, where the oxygen atom is part of the carbonyl group (C=O) attached to the carbon ring.
Feel free to ask if you’d like more details about the structure or properties of this molecule!