Excluding cyclic compounds, how many possible isomers exist for C₄H₈? A)2 B)4 C)5 D)6 E)7

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The given molecular formula has 9 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms, and 4 sulfur atoms. Using the formula 2^(n-1), where n is the number of possible isomers of the given molecular formula, we get:
2^(9-1) = 256 possible isomers for carbon atoms
2^(22-1) = 4,194,304 possible isomers for hydrogen atoms
2^(4-1) = 8 possible isomers for sulfur atoms
Total possible isomers = 256 x 4,194,304 x 8 = 7,077,888,768
However, some of these isomers will be identical due to symmetry or other factors. After analyzing the structure, it can be determined that there are two distinct isomers, giving the answer of B.

Excluding Cyclic Compounds, How Many Possible Isomers Exist for C4H8

Excluding Cyclic Compounds, How Many Possible Isomers Exist for C₄H₈