Enter the molecular formula for butane, C4H10.

express in a chemical formula

Answer: the molecular formula is C₄H₁₀

You can also express it as: CH₃ - CH₂ - CH₂ - CH₃.

Explanation:

1) The molecular formula is the chemical formula for a covalent compound. It shows the elements present in one molecule of the compound: type of atoms and the number of each.

The number of each type of atoms is indicated by the subscript to the right of the symbol.

2) Butane is the alkane with 4 carbon atoms.

3) The general formula for the alkanes is CₓH₂ₓ₊₂, meaning thar for x atoms of C there are 2x+2 atoms of H. Therefore, for 4 C atoms there are 2 (4) + 2 = 8 + 2 = 10 H atoms.

That is why the molecular formula of butane is C₄H₁₀, meaning that each molecule of this alkane has 4 atoms of carbon and 10 atoms of hydrogen.

The other expression: CH₃ - CH₂ - CH₂ - CH₃, shows that this compounds is a chain, in which each C has 4 bonds, one with other C atom to the right, one with other C atom to the right and the difference (2 or 3) with H atoms.