Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!
Multiple Choice
In which of the following molecules is the carbon-carbon distance the shortest?
A
(ethane)
B
(propene)
C
(ethylene)
D
(acetylene)
0 Comments
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the types of carbon-carbon bonds present in each molecule: single bond in ethane, double bond in propene and ethylene, and triple bond in acetylene.
Recall that bond length decreases as bond order increases: single bonds are longest, double bonds are shorter, and triple bonds are shortest due to increased electron density between the carbons.
Understand that ethane (C-C) has a single bond, propene (C=C) and ethylene (C=C) have double bonds, and acetylene (C\(\equiv\) C) has a triple bond.
Use the general trend that bond length is inversely related to bond order, so the carbon-carbon distance in acetylene (triple bond) will be the shortest among the given molecules.
Conclude that the molecule with the shortest carbon-carbon distance is the one containing the triple bond, which is acetylene (HC\(\equiv\) CH).