What do [tex]CH_3 - CH_2 - CH_2 - CH_3[/tex] and [tex]CH_3[/tex] have in common?

A. Melting point
B. Molecular mass
C. Boiling point
D. Chemical properties



Answer :

Sure, let's carefully analyze the question step-by-step to determine what [tex]$CH_3-CH_2-CH_2-CH_3$[/tex] (butane) and [tex]$CH_3$[/tex] (methyl group) have in common:

1. Identifying the entities:
- [tex]$CH_3-CH_2-CH_2-CH_3$[/tex] is the chemical formula for butane.
- [tex]$CH_3$[/tex] is a methyl group.

2. Looking at the options:
- A. Melting point: Butane and a methyl group cannot have the same melting point. Butane is a complete molecule and will have a specific melting point, whereas a methyl group is not a standalone molecule but part of larger molecules.
- B. Molecular mass: The molecular mass cannot be the same since butane is a much larger molecule (with a molecular formula [tex]$C_4H_{10}$[/tex]) compared to the methyl group, which has the molecular formula [tex]$CH_3$[/tex].
- C. Boiling point: Similar to melting point, the boiling points of [tex]$CH_3-CH_2-CH_2-CH_3$[/tex] and [tex]$CH_3$[/tex] cannot be compared directly because a methyl group does not exist independently as a substance that can boil or melt.
- D. Chemical properties: Both butane and the methyl group contain the same types of atoms (carbon and hydrogen) and possess similar types of chemical bonds (C-H bonds). As a result, they share some similar chemical properties, such as participating in certain types of reactions (like combustion or substitution reactions in hydrocarbons).

Given this analysis, the correct answer is:

D. Chemical properties

Both butane ([tex]$CH_3-CH_2-CH_2-CH_3$[/tex]) and the methyl group ([tex]$CH_3$[/tex]) have chemical properties in common due to the presence of carbon and hydrogen atoms and the types of bonds between these atoms.