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Consider a compound known as cyanoacetylene:

How many sigma bonds does this molecule contain?

User Knaser
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Final answer:

Cyanoacetylene contains a total of three sigma bonds: one from the triple bond between two carbon atoms, one from the single bond between a carbon atom and the nitrogen atom, and one from the single bond between the hydrogen and a carbon atom.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the number of sigma bonds in cyanoacetylene, we must look at the types of bonds present in the molecule. Cyanoacetylene has a triple bond between two carbon atoms and a single bond between the carbon atom at one end and a nitrogen atom. A triple bond consists of one sigma bond and two pi bonds, and a single bond is always a sigma bond.

Therefore, the molecule contains:

  • One sigma bond from the triple bond
  • One sigma bond from the single bond between carbon and nitrogen

Additionally, cyanoacetylene has a sigma bond between the carbon atom and any hydrogen atoms attached to it.

From the basic structure of cyanoacetylene (H-C≡C-CN), we have:

  • One sigma bond between the hydrogen and carbon atom
  • Three sigma bonds in total for the entire molecule

User Sam Yi
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