The maximum number of isomers for an alkene with molecular formula C4H8 is 3.
An alkene is an organic compound that contains at least one double bond between two carbon atoms. The molecular formula C4H8 can represent three different alkenes:
- 1-butene: H3C-CH2-CH=CH2
- 2-butene: H3C-CH=CH-CH3
- 2-methylpropene (isobutene): (CH3)2C=CH2
1-butene and 2-butene are structural isomers, which means they have the same molecular formula but different structural formulas. 2-methylpropene is a positional isomer of 1-butene and 2-butene, which means it has the same molecular formula but the double bond is located in a different position.
The number of isomers that can exist for a given compound depends on the number of different structural arrangements that are possible for the atoms in the compound. In the case of alkenes, the number of isomers depends on the number of different ways that the carbon atoms can be bonded to each other and to the hydrogen atoms.
For a compound with the molecular formula C4H8, there are three different ways that the carbon atoms can be bonded to each other. This means that there are three possible structural isomers for this compound.