Final answer:
The compound with the molecular formula C7H16 is heptane, which aligns with the seven-carbon atom chain indicated by the prefix 'hept-' in its name.
Step-by-step explanation:
The compound with the molecular formula C7H16 is heptane. This formula indicates that there are seven carbon atoms (C7) and sixteen hydrogen atoms (H16) in the molecule. The prefixes in the names of organic molecules like heptane, hexane, octane, and pentane refer to the number of carbon atoms in the longest chain of the molecule. Heptane (C7H16) has a seven-carbon atom chain, hexane (C6H14) has a six-carbon atom chain, octane (C8H18) has an eight-carbon atom chain, and pentane (C5H12) has a five-carbon atom chain. Therefore, the correct answer to which compound could have the molecular formula C7H16 is A) Heptane.