Question
This compound is the simplest alkane that has an isomer. For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this alkane, an excellent refrigerant since both it and its isomer liquefy just below room temperature. Burning a mole of it makes four moles of CO2 and five moles of water.
ANSWER: butane [or n-butane; accept isobutane; accept 2-methylpropane; prompt on C4H10; reject “butene” or “isobutene”]
[10e] Isobutane is a greener refrigerant than these halogenated, ozone-destroying molecules known by a three-letter initialism. They were banned by the Montreal Protocol.
ANSWER: CFCs [or chlorofluorocarbons]
[10h] Isobutane can still form radicals, though, because it has a carbon atom with this substitution pattern. Due to hyperconjugation, this type of carbon atom also forms the most stable carbo·cat·ions.
ANSWER: tertiary carbon atom [or tert carbon; prompt on descriptive answers indicating a carbon atom that forms three bonds with carbon or any other answer that just includes the word three; reject “trivalent”]
<Adam Silverman, Science - Chemistry> ~22824~ <Editor: Adam Silverman>
Data
Summary
| Tournament | Edition | Exact Match? | Heard | PPB | Easy % | Medium % | Hard % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 PACE NSC | 06/08/2024 | Y | 55 | 15.82 | 95% | 44% | 20% |