Final answer:
The molecule C3H8O with an oxygen bonded to two carbons fits the general structure of an ether, but none of the provided answer options (ethanol, acetone, methanol, or ethylene) is a correct example of an ether.
Step-by-step explanation:
A small molecule with the formula C3H8O that contains an oxygen bonded to two carbons is an ether. Ethanol, acetone, and methanol do not fit this description as they have different structures with the oxygen bonded differently. Ethanol has the formula CH3CH2OH and contains a hydroxyl group (-OH), which indicates it is an alcohol, not an ether. Acetone, another compound, would have a carbonyl group (C=O) and would not have its oxygen atom bonded to two carbon atoms. Methanol, like ethanol, has a hydroxyl group and its formula is CH3OH. Finally, ethylene is not even close as it is a hydrocarbon with a carbon-carbon double bond (C2H4) and it does not contain an oxygen atom at all.
To determine which of the options provided is an ether, we need to find a compound with an oxygen atom connected to two different carbon-containing groups, as described in the general formula for ethers, R-O-R'. In 2-propanol (isopropyl alcohol), the formula is CH3CH(OH)CH3, which shows the oxygen is bonded to two carbon atoms, but since it contains a hydroxyl group, it is not an ether either. None of the compounds listed in the options provided is an ether.