The general formula CnH2n could represent
- A. an alkane
- B. an alkyne
- C. an alcohol
- D. an alkene or a cycloalkane
Explanation
Both an alkene, with one double bond, and a cycloalkane, with one ring, have two hydrogens fewer than the corresponding alkane, so they share this general formula and are functional isomers of each other. Alkanes are CnH2n+2 and alkynes CnH2n-2. This is why a general formula alone can never identify a compound with certainty.