Final answer:
The number of unique structures that can be made from C₄H₈ is more than one, unlike C₂H₄ and C₃H₆, which each have only one structure. This is due to the arrangement of carbon-carbon double bonds and the possibility of structural and stereoisomers with four carbon atoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
A student asked how many unique structures could be made from the molecular formula C₄H₈. The chemical formula C₄H₈ can represent several different alkene structures. Unlike ethene (C₂H₄) and propene (C₃H₆), which each have only one corresponding structure, a molecule with four carbon atoms and eight hydrogen atoms has the potential for varied arrangements due to the presence of carbon-carbon double bonds.
The answer to the number of unique structures depends on considering all possible isomers. Isomers are compounds with the same chemical formula but different structural formulas. This encompasses both structural isomers, which have different covalent arrangements of atoms, and stereoisomers that differ in the spatial orientations of their atoms. The structures could include straight chains or branches, as well as positional isomers where double bonds shift between different carbon atoms.