How many hydrogen atoms are in the unbranched alkane with 15 carbon atoms?

A non cyclic alkane always has a number of hydrogen atoms equal to 2c + 2, where c is the number of carbon atoms. Therefore, hexadecane, an alkane with 15 carbon atoms, will have 32 hydrogen atoms.

32 hydrogen atoms

Explanation:

Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, that is, organic compounds formed just by carbon and hydrogen bonded through single covalent bonds.

The general formula for alkanes is CnH2n+2.

When n = 15, 2n+2 is 2 * 15 + 2 = 32. The resulting formula is C₁₅H₃₂, with 32 H atoms in each molecule.