Final answer:
To determine the molecular formula of the unknown hydrocarbon, we need to calculate the number of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The correct molecular formula for the unknown hydrocarbon is C6H14.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the molecular formula of the unknown hydrocarbon, we need to calculate the number of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms present in one mole of the compound.
The molar mass of the compound is given as 114.26 g/mol. Since the compound contains only carbon and hydrogen, we can subtract the molar mass of hydrogen from the molar mass of the compound to find the molar mass of carbon. The molar mass of hydrogen is 1.01 g/mol. So, the molar mass of carbon is 114.26 g/mol - 18.17 g/mol = 96.09 g/mol.
The ratio of the molar masses of carbon and hydrogen is equal to the ratio of the number of carbon atoms to the number of hydrogen atoms in the compound. The molar mass of carbon (96.09 g/mol) is approximately 12 times greater than the molar mass of hydrogen (1.01 g/mol). Therefore, the compound contains 12 carbon atoms for every 1 hydrogen atom.
Using this ratio, we can now determine the molecular formula of the compound. The molecular formula options given are C4H12, C6H12, C6H14, and C4H8. Out of these options, only C6H14 has a ratio of 12 carbon atoms to 1 hydrogen atom, which matches the ratio we calculated. So, the correct molecular formula for the unknown hydrocarbon is C6H14.