Which of the following is a branched alkane?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a branched alkane?

Explanation:
Branched alkanes have a carbon skeleton with a side chain attached, so the main carbon chain isn’t just a straight line. Methylpropane features a methyl group attached to the second carbon of a three-carbon chain, giving CH3-CH(CH3)-CH3. That extra carbon branch makes the molecule branched rather than straight. The other options are straight-chain alkanes: propane is a simple three-carbon chain with no branching; ethane has two carbons; butane is a straight four-carbon chain. So methylpropane is the branched alkane.

Branched alkanes have a carbon skeleton with a side chain attached, so the main carbon chain isn’t just a straight line. Methylpropane features a methyl group attached to the second carbon of a three-carbon chain, giving CH3-CH(CH3)-CH3. That extra carbon branch makes the molecule branched rather than straight. The other options are straight-chain alkanes: propane is a simple three-carbon chain with no branching; ethane has two carbons; butane is a straight four-carbon chain. So methylpropane is the branched alkane.

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