Final answer:
To find the degree of unsaturation for C₃H₆, compare it to an alkane with the same number of carbons (C₃H₈). C₃H₆ has two fewer hydrogens, indicating one degree of unsaturation, which can be due to a double bond or a ring structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to calculate the degree of unsaturation in a compound with the molecular formula C₃H₆. The degree of unsaturation is also known as the index of hydrogen deficiency (IHD), which provides information about the number of double bonds and/or rings present in the compound.
To calculate the degree of unsaturation, we compare the number of hydrogen atoms in the compound to that of an alkane with the same number of carbon atoms. The general formula for an alkane is CnH(2n+2). For three carbon atoms, an alkane would be C₃H₈. However, our compound has two fewer hydrogen atoms, which indicates one degree of unsaturation.
Therefore, the compound C₃H₆ has one degree of unsaturation, which could be due to the presence of either one double bond or one ring structure.