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Paraffins: Difference between revisions
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Paraffins are built up using only carbon atoms, which has four bonds, and hydrogen, which has one bond. All bonds for each atom must be used, so it is easiest to think of an alkane as linked carbon atoms forming the "backbone" structure, with adding hydrogen atoms linking the remaining unused bonds.
In a paraffin, one is allowed neither double bonds (two bonds between the same pair of atoms), nor cycles of linked carbons. So all paraffins with '''n''' carbon atoms share the empirical formula <big>C<sub>n</sub>H<sub>2n+2</sub></big>
But for all '''n''' ≥ 4 there are several distinct molecules ("isomers") with the same formula but different structures.
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;Example:
With '''n''' = 3 there is only one way of linking the carbons despite the different orientations the molecule can be drawn; and with '''n''' = 4 there are two configurations:
:::* a straight chain: <big>(CH<sub>3</sub>)(CH<sub>2</sub>)(CH<sub>2</sub>)(CH<sub>3</sub>)</big>
:::* a branched chain: <big>(CH<sub>3</sub>)(CH(CH<sub>3</sub>))(CH<sub>3</sub>)</big>
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